Breath
by Karaleyn Raberba
Summary: Luffy just wanted to be the pirate king. Zoro just wanted to be left alone. But when a dangerous revolution arises, the prince and the bodyguard must go on a journey to seek safety and discover where they truly belong. AU, ZoLuZo. COMPLETE, of sorts.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Breath (formerly known as Toppling Reason)  
**Authors**: Quatrina Raberba and Karaleyn  
**Warnings**: Violence, language, AU, and future shounen ai/yaoi (Zoro/Luffy/Zoro primarily)  
**Disclaimer**: One Piece is owned by Eiichiro Oda and his affiliates.  
**Notes**: This is a story we've been working on for over a year and a half. If you enjoy stories where relationships build over time then check this out! The other characters show up eventually, and there's plenty of plot involving fights and other fun obstacles.

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**Chapter One  
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Sunlight filtered through the trees of the palace courtyard, grazing the rare plant life that flourished there. High, sturdy walls surrounded its wake, wary of any foreigner that attempted to invade. This very wall served as a barrier in more than one sense -- because outside there was turmoil, and inside there was a strained peace. The flags atop the towers whipped in the wind, the scent of the nearby ocean and bustling marketplace just beyond the walls melding together pleasantly.

Even the tenuous peace could not last, however. Not considering who lived there. It was not long before a tremendous crash resounded throughout the palace courtyard, followed by an echoing yell. "NOOO! Come back! Mister Horse, get back here!"

A horse came ricocheting around the corner, followed by a teenager sprinting after it, waving his arms madly. Behind him was another young man stumbling and trying to catch up. "LUFFY! Prince Luffy! NO! Don't chase the horse--you could be hurt!"

But the teenager, Luffy, was not listening. Still yelling at the horse, he ran surprisingly fast to keep up. "Come back! If you don't come back I can't have an adventure! I need you, Mister Horse!"

The horse had no intentions of stopping. It had been terrorized enough in his life; it knew better than to trust an ungainly human flailing so chaotically at him. Like some sort of strange parade, the three came flying across the palace courtyard, passing by the front gate as they made their noisy way in a circuit around the grounds.

As soon as they flew by the gate, an official looking fellow wearing a stiff uniform rushed out in the courtyard as he furiously adjusted his jacket. He was a messenger of sorts, and appeared equally irritated and flustered at the sudden disturbance of the peace within the palace, for by then everyone had caught wind that Prince Luffy was letting loose the horses for the third time that week. However, he had to speak to the prince about urgent business. But getting the prince to pay attention long enough to hear about it was a feat in of itself.

"Your Highness! Could you... erm... spare a moment for some important matters?" he called.

Luffy didn't stop his mad careening after the horse, though he did take the time to glance over his shoulder as he ran. The young man trailing him made a rather undignified squeal and stumbled, calling out urgently, "NO, Prince Luffy! Watch where you're going! You could be _hurt_!"

Luffy laughed at his friend and shook his head, "No, I won't, Coby!" He called back cheerfully then glanced at the rather serious-looking fellow trailing behind them. "Does it involve adventure? Or food?" he added hopefully.

The horse ran faster, noting that for the moment it was away from that little hellion's attention.

Confused at the question, the messenger found himself slightly taken aback. Did the prince think of nothing else? He managed to quickly clear his throat, however, and called out. "Yes! Yes, it does involve adventure!" Well, maybe that was a half-truth -- but he knew it would get his prince's attention faster than anything else. Even so, to stack the cards in his own favor, he added, "And then we can have lunch!"

Luffy skidded to a halt so abruptly that he wore through the grass, and his advisor almost slammed into him. Luffy dodged him, though, and Coby crashed into the ground behind him as the horse whinnied thankfully and disappeared around the corner.

Luffy stared with huge shiny eyes at the official-guy as he gasped. "Really? Adventure _and_ food? Can we go now? Let's go!" He started running back toward the serious guy, yelling over his shoulder, "Coby! What're you doing back there? Let's go get some food!" To accentuate, he punched the air happily.

Whimpering lightly, Coby struggled to his feet as he adjusted his glasses. "Y-yeah...I'll be there soon, Prince." He swallowed hard, rubbing at some bruises that were forming. "I just, um, need to get cleaned up. You go ahead with Helmeppo." Ironically, it seemed that despite his profuse warnings that Luffy would harm himself, it was he -- Coby -- who wound up getting hurt.

The pink-haired boy sighed.

Helmeppo on the other hand gave Coby a slightly snarky grin and said to Luffy, "I've got great news for you, My Prince."

Luffy turned, bouncing on his feet happily. "Really? What is it? Can I hear it now? Can we go eat now and I hear it then? When do I get an adventure?"

Clearing his throat lightly and adjusting his uniform, the messenger answered importantly, "We have found you a new bodyguard. And, after sunset, you two will depart from the palace to travel to safety."

Luffy blinked and looked at Helmeppo. "New bodyguard? Why? Ace will be back soon. He's just hiding! I think he might still be in the palace. Me and Mister Horse were gonna go looking for him but then the horse ran away." He couldn't seem to understand what would ever make an animal bolt like that when he was running after it, no matter _how_ noisy he had been. He also didn't seem to immediately notice the comment about traveling to safety.

With a wary look, Helmeppo answered, "Yes, my Prince. A new bodyguard." He gave a brief pause. "Even if Master Ace is hiding, ah, well... we need someone to guard you on your journey..." He didn't meet the boy's gaze as they walked together down the corridor into the depths of the gleaming palace. He didn't want to discuss the fate of his former guard at that moment, but if it came into conversation there was no way the prince would drop it.

Luffy frowned curiously at Helmeppo's back as he wandered along behind him. He had stopped his hyper bouncing as he tried to understand what in the world he was trying to say. "Journey?" he asked, his voice light and confused, "What are you, an idiot? Why would I need a bodyguard to cross the palace grounds? I do it all the time by myself."

The messenger furiously ran a hand through his hair. "No, _no_, my Prince. It is not a journey across the palace!" He suddenly stopped and turned to Luffy, grabbing him lightly by the shoulders in an attempt to convey the seriousness of the situation. His voice dropped to a whisper. "You are going to _leave_ the country."

Luffy's eyes widened more than usual, which was saying a lot since he always seemed quite wide-eyed and curious. "_What_?" he said loudly, completely in contrast to Helmeppo's volume. "I _am_? Why? _When_?" He paused only briefly, leaning forward and asking in a softer, more interested voice, "Will there be _meat_?"

"Shhh!" Helmeppo threw a finger over his own mouth. "No one is supposed to _know_! It's for your own protection!" After a brief moment, he patted the boy on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll send food supplies."

Luffy stared at the man for several moments, his expression very serious. His own protection? What the hell..? He frowned slightly, then turned abruptly and continued walking toward the palace like before.

"You're strange," Luffy declared calmly and put his right hand firmly on top of his head to keep his tattered straw hat from flying off his head. It was a strange thing to do, perhaps, considering he had not held the hat down during all of his running and jumping and chose to do so when he was calmly walking in an area with no wind. But it was his Adventure Hat, and something told him he was really going to need it in the next few days. Especially if he was getting a new bodyguard. But that seemed really stupid... maybe it was a bodyguard to find Ace? Oh! Maybe it was a hide and seek game across the world! Luffy grinned widely and walked a little happier. This could be _fun_!

Just then, a swift figure emerged from one of the room entrances and bumped into the prince. "What the--" Dark eyes immediately connected with Luffy's as a green-haired man in a tidy uniform stumbled back. "Hey, watch where you're going--"

Luffy only stumbled back a few steps, quickly catching his balance again. One hand still firmly on top of his head, he peered up at the strange man. For a moment, he looked intensely serious, but then he suddenly broke into a huge, cheerful grin, his eyes closed happily in the movement. "Okay!" he agreed cheerfully. "You too!" He turned to keep walking.

Helmeppo looked as if he were going to throw up, his face turning pale and his forehead becoming sweaty. "H-hey!" he called, indignant. "Is that any way to treat the prince!"

"...Prince?" The newcomer's eyes followed the walking boy before his eyebrows raised.

"That's right!" Noting that the green-haired man looked like he would cause more trouble than he was worth, Helmeppo took the time to draw himself to his full height. "In fact, you'd better be more polite to me, too! I could tell the Captain of the Guard about it and you wouldn't even last the night. I'm a very important person around here and you'd better remember that. Apologize immediately or someone will have your hide!"

Luffy was humming quietly to himself, largely ignoring the commotion behind him. All he heard was the last word Helmeppo yelled, and it fit in perfectly with what he was thinking about; namely the game to be played across the entire world. So when he was ordered to hide, he jumped, whipped around to stare at his messenger friend excitedly, and he yelled, "Okay! You'll _never _find me!" With that, he turned and sprinted down the hallway, completely intent on finding the besthiding place _ever._

"Prince Luffy!" cried Helmeppo, startled by the yell and now completely distraught. "Come back!" Without paying any more attention to the newcomer, he took off after the boy. "I didn't tell _you_ to hide!"

The green haired man was left all alone, bewildered and slightly thrown off guard. ..._That_ was the prince? Sure, he had heard stories about the lively fellow, but he hadn't expected them to be completely true...

Realizing that his charge rested within that very boy, however, he too took off into a run after both the messenger and Luffy.

Luffy heard the messenger's yell, but he knew better than to listen. It was just a clever trick! He had heard of these tactics before and he was fully ready to evade them. Laughing delightedly to himself, he kept his hand clamped on his head and ran even faster, ducking quickly around a corner and sprinting toward the room at the far right that led into the servant's staircase where he had once found a _great_ hiding place.

"My Prince!" Helmeppo cried. "You still haven't met your new bodyguard!" Frustrated, he skidded into the same room Luffy hid in before coming to a sudden halt. He soon toppled over as the green-haired man slammed into him from behind him.

Luffy watched between the small cracks around the door where he crouched, trying desperately to stifle his giggling. One hand was pressed firmly over his mouth to muffle even the smallest noise he may make. It was kind of uncomfortable in there, but it was _so fun!_ Ace told him once it was called a stupidwader or something, which Luffy thought was pretty hilarious. The name conjured up all sorts of great images in his mind, of village idiots stumbling around thigh deep in water, running into each other and scaring away the fish. He had found some other ones elsewhere in the palace.. especially in the kitchen. But this one was still here from a renovation or something. He didn't really remember what Ace had said.. all he remembered was that it worked great as a hiding place because the door, after the renovation of the area into a staircase, was virtually invisible in the poor lighting.

"Prince Luffy!" cried the messenger, desperate as he hauled himself up from the ground. "Come out, _please_." He gave an annoying glance at the man beside him. "And what're _you_ still doing here?"

"...I'm the bodyguard," was the simple reply.

"Oh?" Helmeppo looked at the man doubtfully, his arms folding over his chest. "Oh _really." _

Luffy watched the interaction from his hiding place, but he refused to come out so soon. He remained in the stupidwader, his body curled up vaguely uncomfortably as he peered out. He _would _win this game!

Zoro's eyes gazed around his surroundings and he quietly stepped over to where he was barely a few feet from the prince's hiding place. "I'm sure he's around here somewhere..."

Helmeppo scowled a little. "He gets like this all the time... it's almost embarrassing."

"Nah." Zoro shrugged. "It's no big deal."

Luffy watched the interaction with a wide grin. He tried to get even quieter... waiting for someone to make a move. Either to find him, or to give up so he could burst out and surprise them.

As he stayed there, he examined the new bodyguard he was apparently getting. He looked kind of serious, but maybe he was just really good at hiding how funny he could be. It didn't really matter to Luffy. He hadn't thought much about leaving the country, and didn't intend to start. It was an odd thought, but then, going on a huge hide and seek game for Ace would be _so _much fun! So he was looking forward to it. Even though his bodyguard man didn't seem like he laughed much, he could live with that. As long as he was a good man, Luffy didn't really care.

As if sensing something, the swordsman (for that was obviously what he was, given his three swords that hung from his side) suddenly crouched downward. His keen eyes peered through a certain crack in the "stupidwader" and he immediately located a pair of curious eyes staring back.

Luffy recoiled a bit without thinking. He was found! But maybe the bodyguard guy wouldn't say anything and Luffy could at least get away from the messenger. There always seemed to be one person around him constantly worrying about everything. He saw no reason to worry, and sometimes he wished people would just stop. He didn't know if the swordsman guy would be able to see it clearly, but he shifted his hand at his mouth to put a finger before his lips. "Shhh.." he said really softly, hoping the guy would hear and make Mister Worrier go away so Luffy could go eat in peace.

Turning to the messenger, the green-haired man simply said, "I think I can take it from here."

The other fellow seemed taken aback. "But--" The swordsman raised an eyebrow, and the protests abruptly died. Heaving a sigh, Helmeppo gave in. "Alright. Please escort the prince to the dining room as soon as you can." And with that, he turned and left, leaving the prince and the bodyguard alone. At least now he could get back to more important duties than trailing after a wayward prince.

Luffy waited until he couldn't hear the footsteps of the messenger before he very abruptly burst out of his hiding place, arms stretched to the ceiling. "Yay!" he yelled loudly, a huge happy grin on his face. "I'm free!" He bounced on the balls of his feet for a moment, then grabbed the bodyguard man by the arm and started to drag him out of the room with him. "You're _great_! Maybe it won't be so bad hiding and seeking with you after all! Come on! I'm _starving!_"

Taken by complete surprise by the outburst, Zoro stumbled slightly as he was drug along. This was _not_ what he had been expecting at all. First of all, only the bravest of souls _dared_ to invade his private space, and here this boy was pulling him along by the arm! Secondly, he had been sure that he would have been required to at least pay some sort of sign of respect to his prince.

"Gh--" He was at a loss for words.

Luffy continued to drag the man along with him, completely oblivious to the swordsman's thoughts and also to the contrariness of his actions to what a "proper" Prince would be doing. "Who're you, anyway? I'm Luffy! Nice to meetcha! Do you like meat? I _love_ it! I can't wait to eat! Hairpepper, or whatever that messenger guy's name is, said we'd get lots of food on our trip. Do you know how long we'll be gone? I just heard about it today. Hey! If you already know you're my bodyguard, you knew longer than me!" He stopped very abruptly outside of the kitchen, so quickly that the man stumbled against him.

But it didn't take long for the bodyguard to gain his balance and take a step back. Rubbing his arm lightly where his Prince had grabbed him, he gave an odd look in response to all of the chatter. Searching in his brain for a moment, for it'd been pounded into his mind the proper procedure for something of this nature, he tried to recall what his superior officer had told him before his departure for the new post as bodyguard...

..._Introduction_?

Ah, yes. He was supposed to introduce himself (in a rather humiliating manner). Suddenly, he dropped onto one knee as if he had been drilled on it before, irked at the entire situation. But the swordsman needed the employment -- the region had been low on potential bounties, and he had to get food from _somewhere_.

"My name is Roronoa Zoro," he stated reluctantly. "As of today, I am your bodyguard and retain the responsibility and charge over your life, health and protection." He paused as if trying to remember what came next. "God bless The Prince." And with that, he awkwardly bowed his head, gritting his teeth all the while. What a miserable way to introduce himself!

Luffy looked down at Zoro in surprise, blinking. Then he burst out laughing. "You're funny!" he declared cheerfully, reaching down to yank on Zoro's arm to get him to stand up. "Don't kneel like that… I don't know why people do that. Besides, how can you be a good bodyguard when you're staring at the ground? Some one could shoot me right now and you'd never know." He said the last part rather blithely.

Zoro blinked. "You don't like it when others bow to you?" Really, he should have known to expect the unexpected at this point. Even so, he couldn't help but give a puzzled frown. "But you're royalty. People're supposed to bow to you." He took a brief pause. Well, he was certainly glad to hear that he wouldn't have to be doing any pointless groveling, but he still couldn't help but wonder if there were strings attached to this new piece of information. "Okay, if you don't like me doing that, what would you rather me do?"

Luffy shrugged unconcernedly. "I dunno. What do you normally do? Do you bow to everyone? That would look funny!" he laughed, amused at the idea. He cocked his head, looking at Zoro. "You should just be whoever you want to be. I'm no different than you." He paused. "Well, except I don't have a lot of swords." He grinned, smiling cheerfully.

Zoro shrugged, feeling mildly frustrated but a bit relieved just the same. "I will do whatever you want me to do," he answered. A pause, and then he added almost grudgingly, "Luffy-sama."

Luffy frowned at Zoro. Was this man an idiot? He thought he had gotten away from the people like Coby and Hairpepper, but even Zoro was calling him by the silly names. "I'm Luffy, not Luffy-sama," he said clearly, but shrugged. He didn't really care to spend a lot of time making Zoro see what an idiot he was being. "C'mon! Let's eat!" he said, going from serious to cheerfully childlike in the amount of time it took him to remember that food did in fact exist, and furthermore it existed solely for his consumption right on the other side of that door. He jumped away from Zoro to yank at the door, intending to run inside for food.

A _lot_ of food.

Having eaten already, Zoro merely followed the boy inside and remained beside the elaborate door as he watched various officials who had already begun their meal.

Luffy was amazingly fast at jumping into the fray of things and loading up a surprising amount of plates with heaps of food. So many plates, he could not even hold them all. The kitchen staff, meanwhile, was attempting to take all the food from him and set it down themselves, as there was no reason for the Prince himself to be serving his own meal. He should be seated and have his servants do all the work! But they were used to daily raids by Luffy, and went through the motions laughingly, knowing full well that Luffy would take all the food he could carry and then some.

As Luffy took a seat and started digging voraciously into his dinner, he managed between mouthfuls, "Zoro! Aren'tcha gonna eat? The food's _great_!"

Everyone at the table stopped and stared at their superior as the question flittered through the air. They were quiet for a moment before giving nervous laughs, chuckles and murmurs. They continued with their meal, smiling at the funny little boy that was their prince.

Zoro, on the other hand, merely shook his head with a light smile. "Nah. There's no place for me there." Which was true in more ways than one.

Luffy did not stop eating even as he turned to give Zoro a strange look. "Whaddya mean?" he asked innocently, not catching Zoro's meaning. "We can pull up a seat! Or! You can share my seat if you want." He paused, and gave Zoro a serious look. "But you can't have any of my food. ...Well. Maybe a plate. But just one! The rest has gotta be your own."

"No, no, I'm fine. I already ate. You just focus on your food. And then we can make preparations for our later plans, all right?" He gave the boy a vaguely amused smile, and his arms folded across his chest.

Luffy shrugged, then turned back to his food. "Ok... but you're crazy. You should eat when you can!" He managed to shove more food in his mouth at one time than was probably otherwise humanly possible.

Silently and faithfully, Zoro waited, his dark eyes wandering across the table and over the various faces amidst the small crowd. But, suddenly, his muscles tensed--his eyes widened--

For a moment, nothing seemed to make sense. A massive explosion suddenly blasted through the dining area, flinging pieces of the walls and ceiling through the air. Searing heat rushed into the room, the air heavy with smoke and the choked screams of the inhabitants crouched and fallen on the ground. Time seemed to slow and extend for a heartbeat, the insanity of the bomb's aftermath the only thing that seemed to exist in the world. In the startled silence, only the wail of a woman in the far corner and the pained groans of those injured could be heard. Then, as if waiting for the properly dramatic time, dust and plaster rained down from ceiling like falling chunks of snow, blanketing the room and people in ash-covered pale white.

Luffy's chair had been thrown over in the shockwave, its formerly pristine wood blackened and splintered. But Luffy was no longer in his seat. Instead, he was pinned onto the floor, a heavy, warm weight shielding him.

The prince blinked, rather startled at the rapid turn of events. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his body reacting to the explosion on a primal level even if he would not have been quick enough on his own to save himself from injury. It took him a moment to even understand what was happening, the floor seeming too hard and sudden against his face and chest, but when his mind caught up with the events, he craned his head to look over his shoulder. Zoro was shielding him--not all that unsurprising as he was his new bodyguard, but Luffy still couldn't see how he had known the bomb was there before it even went off. His heart finally calming down enough for him to feel in control again, the only thing he could think was, "...The hell?"

Various pieces of dusty debris fell about them, and the bodyguard cracked open an eye. "Mm," he managed. "--we gotta get outta here...are you all right?"

Luffy shook his head with a frown, caught between confusion and annoyance. "I'm fine but what the hell just happened? We're trying to eat and suddenly the wall's flying at us! That's not normal!"

"Bomb," grunted Zoro as he shifted some, trying to ease off of Luffy. "Looks like you were their target." His face looked a little ashen, as if he was strained, but his voice was calm and composed.

"We don't know that--it could've been for anyone in here." Still, Luffy found himself shifting to sit up, his eyes already scanning the room as if to look for another bomb or attack. All he saw was chaos and the injured slowly coming to their senses.

Zoro wasted no time in seeing to the other people, because that wasn't where his responsibility was. Instead, he stood up and extended a hand for Luffy to take. "We should get out of here. It's too dangerous."

Luffy pulled himself up by Zoro's hand and could not help grimly looking around the room once more. Seeing so many people hurt irritated him, especially since he considered most of the staff and visitors of Anchor to be like family. At the same time, he knew he could do nothing for them personally as he knew only the most rudimentary first aid. And with an explosion like that, there was probably already a group of guards and doctors heading for the scene. If Zoro was right, and the bomb really _was _intended for him, then hanging around would do nothing but endanger the injured more. Not that he necessarily believed it actually _was _an attempt specifically on his life, but if Zoro knew the bomb was there before it went off, he may also know something about its target. Turning away from the room, he looked up at Zoro with a nod. "Okay, let's go."

Pulling him close, Zoro plunged through the darkness with the prince and found their way out of the dining room. They were met with a flock of guards and officials.

"Are you unhurt? What of the others--"

"The palace is in _chaos_--"

"The work of a double agent, I'm sure of it!"

"Quick, this way!" They were both ushered through the crowd and down the endless corridors that were plagued with panic-stricken faces and shouts of orders.

As they ran through the castle, Luffy remained uncharacteristically silent, surveying the damage but saying nothing. In the courtyard, Coby was seen standing near a bench, quite pale and shaky. "U-um... Luffy-sama..." He respectfully took the prince's hand and carefully led both him and the bodyguard into the depths of the stables. "I-it looks like you finally get to ride that horse you've always wanted..."

Luffy looked at Coby and nodded. "Yeah.. I do." He paused, unusually somber considering who he was. "Will you be alright?"

The pink-haired boy gave a squeaky laugh, forced and unnatural. "Of course I'll be fine. I have to be fine, Luffy-sama. I'm just more worried about you, that's all." He finally let go of Luffy's hand and soon led a sturdy horse over to them, getting him saddled and ready to go.

Luffy watched Coby calmly for a while, then smiled brightly. "Alright! You be good and I'll see you when I get back! And I'll have _lots_ of stories!"

Coby smiled nonetheless and gave a light bow. "I will look forward to it." He turned to Zoro. "I think you should get on first and allow the prince to hold onto you. I'm afraid the stable can only spare one horse. Decoys have been sent in other directions to confuse any pursuit, and the King felt that it was better you both stay on one. It'll be easier for you to protect the prince if you can't be separated."

Zoro nodded and climbed onto the horse, taking the reins securely into his grasp.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Luffy-sama." Coby quickly aided his prince in getting onto the horse, stepping back with a little bow.

Luffy looked around once he was on the horse and waited for Zoro to take off, but then he realized something. "HEY! Wait! We don't have the food! Or anything else." Though the 'anything else' really wasn't important to him at the moment. Not as important as the food. He was perfectly confident that they could get food on their own once they started wandering, but it seemed a shame to give up the chance for a lot right then.

Coby gave a nervous laugh. "Don't worry, Luffy-sama. We have everything prepared." He shuffled off only to return after a few moments with a bag. Jumping onto a stool, he fastened it to his prince's back. "There you go."

"Ok," Luffy said happily, making sure the bag was on tightly. Then he waved cheerfully and put one arm around Zoro's middle so he wouldn't fall off. "See you later, Coby! I'll have _lots _of stories to tell!" he promised him, using his free hand to hold his Adventure Hat down. "You'll have to tell me yours too!"

Coby nodded and waved. "Please be careful! And take care of him, Mister Swordsman!" He continued waving even after Zoro gave a swift nod and urged the horse out of the stable. Like a speeding bullet, they dashed through the courtyard and out of the gate into the still evening.

"Bye bye!" Coby called, almost desperately. "Farewell!"

"_Bye!_" Luffy yelled back with a huge grin, looking like he would wave if he dared take his hand off his hat, "_See you soooon!_"

The people of the bustling city barely spared the fleeing horse a second look, although a soft chatter seemed to follow them.

"That horse looks like it left from the palace..."

"But why is it carrying two people--?"

"I heard something awful happened..."

They rode onward, speeding through the city as dusk began to descend. The wind rushed past them, and it constantly threatened to blow the little prince's Adventure Hat clean off his head. Zoro held onto the reins tightly, keeping a grim look on his face. The back of his uniform was oddly wet, sticky and prickly for Luffy to lean against, but the horse pressed forward even as the sky grew dark. It was hard to tell if minutes or hours had passed, but Zoro was showing no signs of halting.

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_To be continued..._

**Note: **We have plenty more written and ready to go, but **we need a betareader! **If you're interested, PLEASE contact us at our email (rabkar _at _gmail _dot _com) or leave a review with your email address or a way to contact you, which may be easiest.

Constructive criticism is welcome... And we'd really appreciate hearing what you think! There's a ton more story to come, and a lot of progress to see. We hope you enjoyed the story so far and may you look forward to more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry!** Chapter two had some major issues, our schedules were really conflicting, and AIM all but kicked Karaleyn in the pants every time she tried to talk to Quatrina. But we're here, and we're going to try very hard to keep this from happening again! If you notice a delay in the future, rest assured that we WILL be back to bother you. We have a lot more than just two chapters already written. We just may be having technical difficulties.

**About the title change: ** If you're wondering about the title change, well, there's irony for you. We spent forever trying to find a title but couldn't, deciding to share the story and use the best one we had. So, of _course_ we'd find a better one a few weeks later. _Toppling Reason_ worked, but in the end _Breath_ is much more significant. Sorry for the confusion.

That being said, THANK YOU to all the reviews! We're really happy about them and probably squeed in undignified manners at each one. (But we'll never tell, now will we? Bwa.)

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Luffy had attempted to reach into the bag several times during the trip to snag some food, but it was rather difficult with the galloping horse, the need to have one arm firmly around Zoro's stomach, and the fact that the bag was on the most inconvenient of places: Luffy's back. After the fourteenth failed attempt to steal some food from his own back, Luffy let out a loud, unhappy groan and dropped his head onto Zoro's back, his cheek now getting immersed in what he assumed was sweaty grit.

"Zorooo," Luffy whined, "when do we _stop? _I need to _eat!_" He had thought they would go at a light trot a few steps and stop for lunch, but this? This was _insane! _

Zoro tensed as Luffy pressed his face against his back, and a strange metallic smell greeted the prince's nostrils. "Gnn--" He paused, adjusting the reins as the horse slowed down to a trot. The air was becoming chilly as the red sun slipped past the horizon. Crystal-like stars dotted the sky, but the green-haired man barely glanced at them. "Why didn't you say so _earlier_?" he wheezed.

Luffy frowned, pulling away from Zoro's back and peering at it suspiciously. He couldn't really tell, what with the bad lighting in the place and all--couldn't the stars try a _little _harder or the sun stay around longer so he could see better?--but he was pretty sure he knew what was on Zoro's back. He thought it was sweat all this time!

"'Cause we were going too fast," Luffy answered absently, removing his arm from around Zoro's middle to poke gently at his back. Now that he thought about it, hadn't Zoro been shielding him when they were eating? It had not occurred to him what that could mean until now... and his conclusion was rather distressing. "Is this _blood? _Did you get hurt at the castle? Why didn't _you_ say so earlier?" If he was so obsessed with protecting Luffy, what kind of idiot bodyguard got himself hurt and didn't even tell his ward so he would know they had been compromised?

Zoro's back arched as the younger fellow curiously poked at it. "A-ahh..." He didn't appreciate being prodded at under any circumstances, but being injured really made it that much more unpleasant. The horse trotted to a halt, and a gust of wind roamed past the pair. Zoro could barely hear the cry of some wild beast in the distance, and his eyes became alert and wary. A hand slid to one of his swords. Ignoring the boy's question, however, he said, "I suppose we could eat here..."

Luffy scowled at the hidden wound as if _it _were at fault. He understood that sometimes people got hurt for their goals, and as far as he was concerned, that was part of the process. But it pissed him off when someone he cared about or knew well was hurt for no reason.

Of course, he had known Zoro for less time than he usually took to eat his full dinner. Even so, the swordsman had appeared expressly to help him out, and even if Luffy didn't know exactly what the point was of having someone run across the country with him when he could just wait for Ace to return, he still couldn't ignore something like this. Zoro was hurt because someone had malicious intentions, and that was really all that mattered.

"Zoro, don't be stupid. You're bleeding! We should stop and figure this out. I don't know a lot for how to help--do we blow on it or wash it or something? How much did you get hurt? Here, lemme see." Luffy reached up and tried to yank down Zoro's collar to get a better view of the wound, forgetting for a moment that the collar was part of the rest of his clothing and may actually hurt Zoro more in the process.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Zoro felt the cuts on his back tear open more at the sharp jerk of his collar. He yowled before jerking away -- but he lost his balance and abruptly slid off the horse, with nothing but the ground to break his fall. The horse nervously pawed at the dusty ground at the sudden movement. With dazed eyes Zoro gazed at his prince's curious face from a crooked angle, and somewhere within his foggy mind he was a little baffled that someone of such high ranking would actually waste their breath to express concern for a mere bodyguard like himself. He had always thought rich people to be arrogant and annoying, but this boy..._this_ boy seemed to be different somehow...

Luffy peered down at Zoro, looking curious and concerned at the same time. "What're you doing down _there, _Zoro? Is there a healing person?" He brightened, straightening and looking around as if there would be a doctor's office located conveniently nearby. "_I _remember what I always do! I go to the doctors and they fix me up and then sometimes the nurse kisses it better! Or," he added thoughtfully, "she used to before I grew older. But it worked real well!" He cheerfully peered into the growing darkness, one hand held above his eyes as if to shade from the sun as he squinted. "Okay, so where's the nearest place? Isn't there a bell to ring around here or something...?"

He looked down at Zoro, continuing his monologue. "If we don't find someone soon, I can kiss it better if you want, but," he added solemnly, "it's not a cure. You gotta do other stuff too." He paused, then added seriously, "And it doesn't go away all on its own so we do hafta do _something..._"

Zoro blinked as he gave a blank stare to his prince Bells? Doctor's office? Nurses? "There's none of that here," he said hoarsely. "I guess I'll just have to tough it out." He wasn't there to be babied, after all. He was there to keep Luffy safe. And he couldn't do that if a doctor were fussing over him. Even so, he couldn't help but be vaguely amused by Luffy's expectation of there being the comforts of home around. He couldn't suppress a grimace as he felt the blood ooze from his wounds, though. Now that he thought about it, he felt pretty light-headed too.

The horse cast a nervous glance at Luffy, who was starting to freak him out a little.

Luffy stopped looking around and blinked down at Zoro, rather startled. "But Zoro," he protested, confused, "won't that hurt?"

"What do you want me to do about it?" he wheezed, eyes half open now. "Wouldn't you rather worry about a country or something?"

Luffy thought that was a strange answer. "Why would I worry about a country? It can worry about itself if it wants, can't it? And anyway," he added, exasperated, "a country isn't sitting on the ground bleeding all over our meal place, is it? Now how do I get off this thing again…?" The last was said largely to himself as he leaned forward and peered around for the stirrup-hole-things.

Zoro eased himself to a stand, barely repressing a sigh. He wobbled a bit, but with a hard gulp he swallowed down the bile that was beginning to rise at the back of his throat. He felt like garbage, especially with hours of intense riding under his belt, but he threw back his shoulders and stepped towards Luffy. "Here," he grunted, and lifted the prince from the horse. It was only proper to do so with royalty, after all. And he didn't feel like explaining anything verbally -- and running the risk of his Prince falling off and hurting himself.

Luffy blinked. So _that _was how it was done... you just waited for someone to help you down! Luffy had plenty of experiences with horses, but they always seemed to be running at full speed while he got on or off, or jumping around and making a racket. He really wasn't quite sure _what _to do with it when it was standing still like that... Luffy found it rather unnerving. Like it was a statue or something.

"Okay," Luffy said brightly once his feet were touching the ground again, "first we find a healer person, and then she kisses it better, and then we _eat!" _He grinned widely, turning in a circle while he tried to decide which direction to go. He was, as usual, very excited about the thought of eating, but he had at least _some _priorities. Since some jerk had hurt Zoro in the line of duty, it was only fair that they fixed his back and _then _ate. At the thought, Luffy frowned at his bodyguard. "But we should do the healing thing fast 'cause you haven't eaten in longer than _I _haven't eaten, and you gotta be dying by now!"

Unfortunately, no healers were in sight. How strange... Despite what Zoro had said, Luffy was certain there would be doctors and healers all over the place. There always were. They were as natural as paved streets and high terraced walls, after all. Why _wouldn't _they be there?

Zoro gave an irritated frown as he silently unhooked the pack from Luffy's back. He opened it up, dismayed to find only one meal that had been hastily packed in the last, chaotic moments they had been at the castle. He inwardly supposed that they could hunt -- he didn't have swords for nothing. Even so, he gruffly responded to Luffy's rambling. "Well, as soon as you see a town nearby, we can do whatever." He tossed the food to Luffy. "Eat up, you'll need it."

Luffy frowned. He wasn't used to being disregarded, especially when he had all these great plans. And Zoro wasn't even acting like Coby did--continually mumbling about bad ideas and how it wouldn't work. No, Zoro just _ignored _him! When the food came his way he automatically caught it, but then crossed his arms and peered through the growing shadows at his bodyguard.

"_No," _he said firmly, though he didn't really know what he was protesting to other than the fact he felt he needed to protest _something _about this whole situation.

"Excuse me?" growled Zoro, turning to the other fellow. "What's your problem? Just eat, will ya?" He rubbed at his aching temples while rummaging through the bag suddenly. He found some changes of clothes, which he vaguely recalled being told were absolutely essential to keep the prince safe. Taking out a pair and holding them up, he realized that they were typical civilian clothes -- robes and boots, with a headdress to keep his scalp protected from the sun. He tossed them to the prince. "And change into these while you're at it."

Luffy scowled now. He crossed his arms, though he was careful to keep the food firmly in his grip, and he dropped to the ground where he remained a picture of obstinacy. "If you won't listen to me, then I won't listen to _you. _And anyway, your clothes are grosser than mine. _You _change into that."

"I have clothes, too," muttered Zoro, holding up his own pair. "You think I'd be dumb enough to walk around in uniform when so many people are after you?" A pause, his voice suddenly becoming indignant. "And what makes you say I'm not listening to you?"

"You _aren't!" _Luffy said, angry and pouting at the same time. "I'm trying to help and you're just ignoring me! It's so rude! Just because _you _wanna fall over from being sick doesn't mean _I _want you to. You're getting fixed and _then _we eat." He nodded his head to himself as he laid down the rules quite firmly, arms still crossed stubbornly at his chest.

"Wouldn't you rather eat first?" Zoro asked. "I mean, look -- there's _no town in sight_. We might not even reach a town until morning."

Luffy glared up at Zoro, and even though his stomach was angrily telling him that the bodyguard was making a _lot _of sense right now, Luffy wasn't satisfied. "Stop being so stubborn! This isn't that hard to get. I refuse to eat until we start healing your back and that's _final." _If it took something ridiculous like that to get Zoro to stop being so stupid and just lead them to a healer, then fine. Normally Luffy would not deny himself food to make a point, but Zoro was too difficult to work with. He probably wouldn't give up short of a statement like that.

"You were the one insisting that we stop to eat in the first place," growled Zoro, taking a step towards his Prince. Even so, he lifted him in his arms and eased him back onto the horse. He didn't understand why Luffy was freaking out so much. "Besides," he muttered awkwardly, pressing the boy's hat more securely onto his head, "your health and safety comes before mine."

Luffy frowned down at Zoro. "Well, I didn't know at the time you were _hurt, _did I?" A pause when he belatedly heard the muttered words. He looked away at the darkness, liking how alien everything was so far from the palace walls, but also being disoriented from it. He was quiet a moment, thinking. "Everyone's health's the same though, isn't it? It's stupid to say mine's more important just 'cause I get to wear neater clothes. If you fall, then no one's here to protect me, right? Doesn't that make _your _health more important?"

Zoro gave the prince an annoyed look. "Luffy," he muttered, "just let me do my job, okay?"

Luffy peered sulkily at Zoro. "Okay, I'm trying but you wanna to _bleed to death _so I'm not sure it's such a great idea to leave it up to you." Instead of coming out as a complaint, it sounded like slightly disgruntled teasing.

He had finally won, but unfortunately all the arguing had drained the bit of energy Zoro had left. Leaning against the horse, Zoro's eyes began to roll to the back of his head. His knees felt rather wobbly all of a sudden. "On second thought," he muttered. "I think I just need some sleep..."

Luffy stared at Zoro for a few moments before suddenly grinning brightly, as if his somber and irritable mood had never existed. "Okay! Maybe you just need food! Let's eat and sleep and I can fix your back before you sleep and then in the morning we'll find a healer person!" He was pleased with this new plan. It involved eating earlier _and _fixing Zoro a little too.

The bodyguard released a soft sigh before allowing himself to fall onto his face and drift into silence. The horse gave a sudden neigh, pawing at the ground nervously.

Luffy looked down. "What a weird way to say yes, Zoro," he informed his bodyguard, then began the laborious task of figuring out how to get off a statue horse. It only took a few tries before he decided to just jump off like he normally would if it were running really fast. This seemed to work quite well as Luffy landed on his feet and plopped down next to Zoro. He peered down at him and cracked his knuckles as he prepared to get to work.

"Okay," he said to himself thoughtfully, "I'm pretty sure they always..." He trailed off and tried his best to fix Zoro's back long enough for him to sleep so they could eat and, wait, _then _sleep, and then find a healer person.

Zoro gave a soft grunt as Luffy prodded at his wound. Because his mind was too foggy to swat Luffy's curious hands away, however, the bodyguard remained relatively still

Meanwhile, Luffy was a bit perplexed. The clothes were a problem. How was he supposed to fix anything if he couldn't see it? He had to get Zoro's shirt off, but that proved difficult when he tried tugging on the bottom of it. He paused, then shoved against Zoro's shoulder to roll him on his side so he could begin working the shirt off over Zoro's head. Although trying to be careful, he could only do so much when working with someone far heavier and further unconscious than him.

Feeling his weight give a sickening lurch, Zoro's eyes cracked open as he called upon all of his will power to keep himself from entirely slipping away. After all, if he fell asleep, who would watch after his charge? "It unbuttons," he croaked, watching Luffy's confused eyes roam across his chest. The swordsman could sense what the prince was trying to do, and seeing that he couldn't stop him, he figured that he may as well help.

"Ohhh," Luffy said by way of answer, and scrabbled around Zoro's chest until he found the buttons. They were too hard to see clearly, or maybe it was Luffy's angle. So it took a bit but he started to get the buttons off and this was _much _easier than what he thought he'd have to do! "Thanks!" he said cheerfully, grinning hugely as he began (a little gentler this time though still rougher than a real doctor or nurse would) pulling off Zoro's shirt so he could see his back.

"I'm okay," Zoro muttered. "You don't need to do this." The boy was a prince, after all, and he doubted that anything like this was very fun for someone of royalty. Besides -- as a bodyguard, he should be strong. Which meant tolerating even the most fatal wounds. A rough, calloused hand wrapped itself around Luffy's wrist. "If you just let me sleep, I should be okay."

Luffy frowned down at Zoro. He didn't believe him. Zoro said weird things that made no sense when it came to stuff like this. Zoro didn't even tell him he was bleeding for hours! _Bleeding! _He didn't believe that Zoro would be okay if he slept. Or, he did, but Luffy thought it would be better his way and not Zoro's.

"Stop trying to stop me," Luffy scolded and continued what he was doing. He managed to get Zoro's shirt off with one hand but he couldn't finish with Zoro holding his wrist like that. He tugged against Zoro's grip. "Let go." The command was mild, more conversational than anything, but he meant it. "You can sleep after I'm done. I won't sleep if I know you're bleeding all over by me."

"Fine," Zoro murmured, his hand falling to his side. Couldn't argue with the prince; that was one of the main rules he had sworn by. His dark, clouded eyes continued to watch the boy, however, to make sure he was safe out there in the wilderness with him. Night had already settled, and the horse continued to nervously paw at the ground. The wind flittered past them, and the swordsman finally allowed his eyes to roll to the back of his head, soon plunging into a heavy darkness.

Luffy paused, at first not sure if he had _really _won like he thought he did, or if Zoro was going to be stubborn again, but soon it became apparent he had. Great! He grinned widely to himself, immensely pleased. People usually either let him win right away just because he was a prince or they didn't let him win at all if they knew him better (like his parents, who seemed to be under the false impression that Luffy was irresponsible and prone to trouble). Luffy liked having someone to argue with but he had to admit it had started to irritate him when Zoro didn't listen to what he was saying and just kept telling _Luffy _what to do instead.

But now he won and it was his turn to show Zoro he could do stuff too! If Zoro could shield Luffy from danger than Luffy could at least fix him when he was hurt. Seemed a fair trade to _him. _

After he got Zoro back on his stomach, he was finally able to see the wounds better. Zoro's shirt was sort of tangled around one of his arms, but it was out of Luffy's way so he didn't really care about it.

He peered down at the wound curiously. It looked like it should hurt a lot but Zoro didn't seem to care. Besides, if the man could argue that long he must be fine. Satisfied that they would make it through the night before they got to the healer person, Luffy felt better about just being able to kind of fix things temporarily. He tugged Zoro's shirt off his arm and started trying to wipe all the blood away so he could see even better what he was dealing with, but all that did was smear it. He tried a few more times before it occurred to him that water would help. With that in mind, he stood up and looked around, but there were no fountains in sight.

Hmm. Curious.

Maybe he was just in the wrong park... Wait. This was outside, on an Adventure. Did they have parks out here? If not, where did they get their clean water...?

Luffy stood up and, bloody shirt trailing on the ground behind him, began to wander looking for some sort of water.

The wilderness seemed to be endless. Just as endless as the night sky and its twinkling stars, or the wind that pulled gently at his clothing. Foggy mountains rested in the distance, and the air around Luffy was becoming rather chilly. An eerie echo of a wolf's howl sounded through the darkness, and the dust of the ground flittered around the boy's boots as he strode through a makeshift path. But there seemed to be no fountains in sight. And no parks, for that matter. The further he walked, the smaller Zoro and the horse became in the distance. But a faint flicker of light could be seen far, far ahead.

Ignoring the possible dangers of wolves and the distance he was gaining from his bodyguard, Luffy headed toward the light immediately. Maybe it was a doctor's place, or an inn or something! Being a naturally curious person, Luffy could not refrain from investigating, and he always liked to explore new places and go on more adventures. He was too accustomed to being caught within palace walls to resist the lure of the unknown.

The flicker of the fire grew in size and intensity as he eagerly drew near. Dark smoke seemed to rose from it, indicating that it was a campfire of sorts. A couple tents dotted the area beside it, looking worn but of decent quality. A group of men sat around the fire, with fat bags at their feet. They were counting something sparkling and gold, which gleamed in the moonlight. Softly chattering among themselves, they did not see Luffy until he was in their midst.

Luffy stopped at the edge of the encampment, eyes caught by the glittering gold in the hands of the men. Money! He'd completely forgotten about that--did Coby even pack any for him? They would probably need it sometime; definitely for the healers if nothing else. The men certainly had more than they needed in those bags... surely they would share!

"Hi!" he greeted them cheerfully with a grin, "Can I have some too?" With his free hand he held down his adventure hat, his other fist still gripping the torn shirt.

Several pairs of eyes stared at the boy, wide and gleaming. "Pretty bold of you to ask, eh, lad?" Several chuckles emitted, and one of them passed a bottle of beer to another. The fire continued to crackle.

Luffy cocked his head curiously. "How _else _would I ask?"

"This money ain't for sharin', right, boys?" chuckled the large fellow who seemed to be their leader. "And we can't let anyone who's seen us with it escape..." A couple of his friends cracked their knuckles, their attention now more on Luffy than the gold.

"Look, boss," observed a muscular guy with beady, stupid looking eyes. "Kid's got a fancy outfit, don't he? Must got lots more money on 'im. Nerve of 'im to ask for ours."

Luffy looked confused. "What are you, stupid? If I had money, why would I ask for it? And lots of people have money, why's it matter if I see _you _with some?" These people made about as much sense as Zoro. Luffy was beginning to believe the entire world was mad.

Their boss laughed, a bandaged hand rubbing the stubble on his chin. "Tell me, lad, where you come from?"

"From Anchor," Luffy said automatically, cheerfully. "You?" He looked around at them all curiously, still willing to be friends with them if they would stop being weird.

"Anchor, ehhh?" The boss peered at him, lifting up the shady hat that covered his eyes. "You mean that sparkly palace down yonder?" He guffawed. "Awfully far away from home, ain't ya?"

Luffy frowned thoughtfully and dropped down to the ground, legs crossed and arms resting easily on his knees. "I dunno, am I? Where are we?" He looked around as if he would find a street sign.

The man laughed again, his belly shaking with him this time. "What a riot this lad is!" But he was the only one laughing -- everyone else just seemed to smirk at the lost boy. "I'll bet this is your first time outside, ya' pampered little brat." He leaned forward, his sweaty face barely inches from Luffy's. "Well, now." His breath smelled of beer. "Looks like you're all official n' such, ain't ya? Think you're all special now, don't ya?" He poked Luffy in the forehead, a toothy grin on his face. "An' you have the nerve to go askin' me for money that my men and I worked real hard to steal."

"Yep!" Luffy agreed with a grin then paused. "Wait, special? Whaddya mean, 'special'? Coby told me once _everyone's _special."

The man cocked a brow. "'Scuse me? Special as in filthy rich." He poked him in the forehead again. "Special as in part o' royalty n' such." He poked him yet again, his toothy grin becoming wider. "Special as in _rare_. Uncommon. Unheard of. Not seen very often. Get it?"

Luffy scowled, reaching up to stop the man from poking his forehead. "Stop that! It's annoying," he said crossly, then added after a moment. "And I'm seen a _lot! _Anyone in Windmill can see me and lots of people in Anchor see me too... And you're all seeing me now. I'm not part invisible, you know." Geez, these guys were dumb.

"Naw, but fellas _like_ you. Princely sort. Rich sort. _They_ aren't seen very often. And you're one of 'em, whether you like it or not." A pause. "In fact, all sorts of people care 'bout you, love you, adore you, kneel at your feet, kiss your hands. And you didn't do _crap_ to get that kind of devotion, except get born into the right family."

"Oh," Luffy said, leaning back a little. He shrugged. Why was the guy talking about this? He didn't care about any of it. He—oh yeah! _Now _he remembered why he was here!

"Do you have water or a doctor or something?" he asked abruptly instead of bothering with the guy's obsession with 'special.'

The fellow eyed him shrewdly. "Why?"

Well, these guys were pretty stupid and obsessed with money, but they probably still knew more about treating gross back wounds than Luffy did. "'Cause my bodyguard's passed out by my horse and he's hurt and I was gonna fix him but I don't know how," Luffy answered with a huge grin. "Do _you_ know?"

"Bodyguard?" crowed one of the smaller men.

"Haw haw! What a sheltered kid!"

The boss leered forward, his eyes glistening. "He's passed out you say? Wounded, maybe? Bleedin' everywhere?"

Luffy looked oddly at the others but turned back to the boss with a decisive nod. "Yep! His back's all ripped up 'cause he stopped a bomb from hitting me. So do you have water or a doctor or not? I don't have all night to wait, you know. He's gonna get sicker the longer I leave him unfixed."

"Son, I hate to tell ya' this, but the sooner you forget 'bout other people, the better off you'll be." The boss took out a cigar, lighting it and sticking it into his mouth. "Forget about 'im. He's as good as dead, ya' know. I'd be more worried about your hide, if I was you."

Luffy frowned, insulted. "Well, _that's _a stupid thing to say. How am I supposed to see Shanks if I just keep forgetting all my friends along the way? You could've just said you didn't have water or a doctor--you didn't have to say stupid stuff like that." He stood up, one hand pushing the adventure hat more firmly on his head, and turned to leave. "I'm gonna go fix him before he gets more broken. Have fun with your stupid money and 'special' obsessions."

The boss snorted. "You sure you don't want any money?"

Luffy paused and turned halfway, regarding the men with a more solemn look than before. "Yeah," he said seriously, "I don't want money from someone who tells me to give up on his friends."

The older man regarded the prince seriously, his eyes narrowing shrewdly. "Boys," he said casually. "Sack 'im." The rest of the men flurried into action, skilled and swift. A rough clout knocked Luffy across his face, and the world suddenly became dark as he was stuffed into a large, cloth bag.

Luffy was mostly surprised at suddenly being attacked with a big bag. He hadn't entirely trusted the men, but now he _really _didn't trust them. Plus, that _hurt _when he got hit! It was still stinging as he found himself getting shoved into something large and dark and coarse and very unpleasant. Someone pushed him, making him curl up so he could fit inside, and at first Luffy was too stunned by the rough smack to the head to react. But as soon as he realized what was happening, he was twisting and striking out furiously, both with his legs still largely free from the bag as well as his torso completely covered. "OW! That _hurt_!" he yelled loudly, furious. "_Hey! Get off me!_ What the hell's your _problem_, you assholes!"

"You, you!" the boss's voice cut out. "Stuff him _in the bag_!" He whirled around from the two men that were struggling with Luffy. "And you!" he pointed to the rest. "Go the way this brat came from and find that stupid bodyguard of his."

"And then what?" asked the beady-eyed man.

"Break him so hard that he can't be fixed anymore." He laughed as they quickly mounted their horses. "We don't need scum like that roaming our turf."

Luffy struggled wildly, forgetting in his surprise the basics of his martial arts lessons he'd had for years now. But when he heard the man's words about Zoro, he was _irate. _"_Don't you _dare_ touch my friend!_" he roared, fury giving him strength as he ripped harder at the bag and kicked violently at the men, aiming for anything he could hit. He was awkwardlytrying to rip the bag off over his head even as he struggled to find a way to roll to his feet. He would _kill _anyone who tried to hurt Zoro, _especially _when he was already hurt like that!

The two men faltered back for a moment, but a sharp snarl from their boss only spurred them into pinning the boy to the ground. "Hold nice n' still," a slender, blue-eyed fellow hissed. "Otherwise, we're gonna hafta gag ya' and knock ya' out totally. You want that?" The others that had been sent to find Zoro were already taking off into the night.

Luffy was beyond reasoning with. He jerked against the ground and threw all his strength, which was surprisingly considerable judging by how scrawny he looked, into shoving the men away long enough to get up and stop the other men from hurting Zoro. A foot connected with the slender man, throwing him back as he cursed profoundly. The other tried to reinforce his hold but Luffy was quicker, squirming out of the bag and into the open before he had the chance to get a good grip. Not even stopping to look the man properly in the eye, Luffy clouted him on the side of the head and kicked him aside when he tried to stop him.

Looking around, he quickly noted which direction the men were headed and took off after them. Sprinting, he still managed to find the breath to yell furiously, "Don't hurt Zoro! I'll _kill you_ if you hurt Zoro! _Don't you _dare_ touch my friend!_"

"Kid!" growled an irritated fellow as he slowed his horse, seeing that Luffy was now running by his side. "You _really_ don't wanna mess with me..."

"Yes," Luffy growled quite seriously, whipping out and yanking hard on the man's leg in an attempt to dislodge him from the horse, "I _do _if you're after my friend!"

The moment was overrun with chaos. Luffy had a good grip and was just about to yank the man away when a gunshot rang out, and something hot and swift suddenly pierced his shoulder. Startled more by the sound and impact than anything else at first, Luffy continued to run alongside the horse, not lessening his hold. He glared up at the man, eyes serious and furious in the night. "Get. _Off_."

But there were two other men that Luffy couldn't get at, and they had already begun to leave the others behind as Luffy's blood left a horrible trail behind him.

Luffy refused to be beaten, and realized that focusing on one man wasn't going to be enough. So, ignoring the pain growing in his shoulder at his movements, he released the man's leg long enough to swerve to the side, slowing down a little. He had _plenty _of experience with jumping on spooked, hassled horses. He decided to use this to his ability now. If he had a horse, he could get to the other men faster. Suddenly sprinting forward at an alarming rate, Luffy jumped straight at the horse's back, scrambling for a hold while still trying to dislodge the man.

The man abruptly shoved his elbow into Luffy's side, growling. "Get _off_, boy! Stupid brat, _get off!"_

"_You _get off!" Luffy yelled, and latched his jaw hard on the man's arm, biting as deeply as he could while he gained a better hold on the horse.

The man howled and lost his grip, falling off of the horse. But in the movement he reached over and yanked Luffy with him.

Luffy was not expecting the man to grab onto him and, he reflected as he slammed painfully into the ground, he really had to get better at this expecting thing. Winded and body white and confused with pain, he still absolutely _refused _to give up. Zoro needed him and he was going to help! Even if it _killed _him! Shanks would do the same, and so would Ace! He was _sure _of it.

So he staggered to his feet and started running again as fast and soon as he could, not even glancing back at the man he had knocked off the horse. He was certain he could catch that horse again, and then catch the men, and then stop them. He refused to let anything else happen.

Two male screams sounded up ahead, and the loud _whoosh_ of something sinister echoed through the night air. The man Luffy had left behind hesitated as he got up to chase after the injured prince. Even so, another gunshot rang out.

Luffy was undaunted, despite the ominous sounds from ahead. His attention was solely on the horse he was chasing, and quite quickly catching up to. He put in another burst of speed, running recklessly at the spooked horse, preparing to leap on its back and help his friend.

He passed two bleeding bodies on the ground as the prince ran forward. A dark figure seemed to glide past him within a swift moment, going for the boss and the other henchman behind Luffy.

Barely sparing the bodies a glance, with a deep intake of breath in preparation he threw himself at the horse and scrambled up on its back while it jumped around, frightened at the sudden weight. Luffy yanked at its reins, talking in a low, calm voice continuously to the horse as he willed it to settle down. He knew how horses got scared about this, but, really, couldn't it wait to freak out until _after _he was sure Zoro was okay?

Several screams sounded behind Luffy, followed by a thud and the sound of someone running away. This only served to upset Luffy's horse even more, and it almost tried to buck the boy off of its back.

"_Ow_!" Luffy yelled abruptly, his shoulder jarring at the impact as his butt hit the horse's back after a particularly wild jolt. "_Stop it_! I'm not gonna hurt you! We have to go check on Zoro so stop being _scared _and just _do something, _you stupid horse!" He yanked harder on its reins, irritated. Although he had a guess about what was going on behind him, he wanted to be sure. It could be another trap by the mean men.

"Oi!" A gruff voice sounded from behind Luffy, hoarse, croaking, but warmly familiar.

Luffy looked back, almost flying off the horse when it pranced and bucked again. Luffy clung to the horse, wincing at the pain now in his butt as well as his shoulder, but he didn't say anything other than a very happy yell of, "_Zoro?_"

"Aaa." The dark, distinct figure was hunched over in the moonlight, a blade resting in his mouth, two others in his hands. His eyes were gleaming, though shadowed and sinister looking. A sharp wind blew, rustling the clothes and hair of the three bodies that were sprawled about the two of them.

"Oh," Luffy said, relieved as he finally gave up on the stupid horse and jumped off. The horse whinnied fearfully and started to gallop away, but didn't go far before stopping within sight, pawing nervously at the ground. Luffy, meanwhile, was jogging toward Zoro, apparently unconcerned with his friend's rather demonic appearance. "Hi! Did you sleep well? Are you okay? They didn't break you more, did they?" The last part came out with far more threat to it than the rest of the cheerful questions.

The swords dropped to the ground, and the man allowed himself to breathe heavily. "Injuries?" he asked gruffly.

Luffy scratched the back of his neck with his good arm, his other remaining limp and bloody at his side where it kind of sort of hurt less. He cocked his head and blinked at Zoro, confused. "I dunno what your injuries are, why're you asking _me? _Don't you know?"

"No," he said, his voice strained. "Are _you_ injured?" But, really, that was rather a stupid question, now that the swordsman thought about it. He limped towards his prince, his eyes taking in the sight before him. "You're hurt," he muttered, suddenly at his side. He cursed at himself, inspecting the wound closer.

"Yeah," Luffy said simply, looking calmly at Zoro. His good hand had unconsciously moved toward the gunshot wound as if to comfort it. "Now that I'm hurt too does this mean we get to see a doctor?" He still wanted Zoro's back fixed.

"You're hurt," he said softly, eyes narrowed. "I've failed as your bodyguard."

Luffy frowned, slightly distracted by how much blood was running between his fingertips. Wow! To think he had so much to spare in his body! He peered at Zoro, confused. "What're you talking about? You got those other guys, didn't you? They were bad men. They deserved it. They told me to forget about you and I told them they were stupid." He wondered how much more blood Zoro had if he could still be running around after bleeding all day. Luffy kind of envied that amount of blood... it seemed like a lot.

"I took an oath to keep you safe, and I intend to keep it if it means I have to never sleep again," Zoro stated simply, his face seeming rather pale in the moonlight

Luffy blinked at Zoro, then suddenly burst out into clear, untroubled laughter. "Don't be silly, Zoro!" he said between chuckles, "you'd be _so _cranky! Come on, let's go back and get fixed a little and then eat and sleep and then see a doctor in the morning!" He smiled guilelessly up at his companion.

"I don't think we should stay out here," said Zoro simply.

Luffy shrugged, then grimaced when the movement made his shoulder hurt. "Okay," he said, not really caring at that point. He gripped his shoulder harder and looked down at all the blood, mildly fascinated. "Look at it all, Zoro," he said, like a little kid pointing out a pretty waterfall, "It just keeps coming and coming and..." He blinked, pausing. "Oh," he said, a little distantly. "Also, I think I feel a little dizzy. Can we sit down soon? And then see a doctor sometime? This hurts." He was wobbling slightly on his feet, the adrenaline high coming down and the injuries and exertion catching up to him at once.

"Luffy--" He reached out to steady him, his eyebrows furrowing with concern. "We need to get you to a doctor right away." He inwardly kicked himself. How could he have let Luffy wander away like that? Growling, the swordsman looked around to see if any of the horses had lingered around. Upon awaking, not only had he discovered Luffy missing -- but their horse as well.

"Okay," Luffy said with a goofy smile, since he was getting his way again. "You get to go too, right?" He refused to give up on the thought. "You go too or I don't go at all." His eyes wanted to droop a little but he stubbornly kept them open. It was weird how sleepy he felt suddenly. He wished his stupid shoulder would stop hurting, and his butt, and also his face and why did this stupid men hit him anyway? Everything hurt from them throwing him around and trying to keep him in the stupid bag. Stupid bad mean men.

Zoro strode towards the horse that Luffy had snagged, gently bringing it back to his prince. He lifted him up onto the horse, settling him securely onto the saddle before he himself got on. "Our horse is gone," he said. "So is all of our stuff. I think someone stole them." And with that, he galloped forward to where he hoped would be the nearest town.

"Okay," Luffy said with a yawn as he started to lean toward a brief bit of unconsciousness, "jus'as long's you're not gone too, 't's fine," he mumbled, though still loud enough for Zoro to hear.

"Don't ever wander away like that again," spoke Zoro firmly, his voice fading beneath the loud noises of the horse's hooves hitting the ground.

Luffy nodded, but it was hard to tell if it was in agreement, or just his sleeping form bouncing with the horse's gait.

It seemed like hours drifted by, and the horse continued its steady path. Zoro barely spoke along the journey, although he cast several gazes back at his prince. He wondered if he was passed out.

Luffy must have been, because otherwise he would never have allowed himself to slump forward against Zoro's wounded back. But if that was not enough of a clue, his loud snores several moments later answered the question once and for all.

* * *

_To be continued..._

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Feedback is greatly appreciated! _


	3. Chapter 3

We're back! At least we're getting a little quicker with updates... though if anyone decides to get upset, please forward all complaints to Karaleyn. She is the one who has been too difficult to contact lately.

Just a (belated) warning that we're both huge fans of hurt/comfort, so a lot of this fic is bad stuff happening and them growing from it. Hopefully chapter four will be out soon and again, THANK YOU to each and every one of you who has read this story or reviewed! Especially the reviewers. It really means a lot to us, so thank you very much.

Now, chapter three of Breath!

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Despite the darkness that enveloped Luffy's senses as he fell into a deep sleep, it was warm and secure against Zoro. But it didn't seem like long before a bright light probed painfully at his eyes, trying to rouse him. 

Luffy didn't like bright lights when they were intruding on warm sleep. He scowled sleepily and tried to ignore it, mumbling something that sounded a lot like "leemeelone."

A soft, female voice flittered into his senses. "...are you awake?"

Luffy was too tired to think, so all he managed to mumble was, "No."

"All right then. Sleep." And then she was gone.

Smiling happily, Luffy did just this. When he awoke later, he wasn't sure if he had dreamed that part or if it had really happened. All he knew was he was blinking his eyes open, and he was confused. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was.

A pleasant, blue room greeted him. Sunlight filtered through an open window, and the white curtains softly swayed against the breeze. A lush, green canopy shielded him from a bit of the light, but a few rays escaped to where he was nestled within fluffy blankets and pillows. His shoulder was bandaged, and he found himself in a fresh change of clothes.

Luffy liked this room. It was something comfortable to awake to, but he did not have long to think on that before his stomach rumbled loudly. Groaning, he threw himself to his side and started weakly trying to get out of bed. "I'm hungry!" he announced to no one in particular, his weakness only partially feigned.

A tray of food rested upon the bedside table -- soup and juice, with a piece of chicken off to the side. It emitted a pleasant, hearty aroma. Drifting in from the hallway came the soft, soothing music of an old record player.

"_Food!_" Luffy yelled, and as if the exhaustion had never been there, he leapt at the tray and began to devour the food rapidly.

Birds softly chirped outside, as the curtains continued to sway in the breeze. The delicate cloth that belonged to the green canopy did the same, and the sheer material that surrounded the bed seemed to dance. The food's smell seemed to fill the whole room, and a mirror that held Luffy's image stared back at him from the other side of the room.

Luffy waited until he was done with the food to look around the room again. When he noticed the mirror, he stood up and wandered over, peering curiously into it. His own, wide-eyed gaze stared back. His bed rested behind himself, as well as several portraits of various members of some noble-class family.

He had a heart-stopping moment when he thought he lost his hat, but he saw it reflected in the mirror, hanging by the door. He immediately ran over, taking the hat reverently off the post and placing it firmly on his head. "Hat!" he cried, relieved, one hand keeping it down out of paranoia.

As he turned around, he was surprised to see Zoro curled in a corner he had not noticed. Cobwebs were stuck to Zoro's bare shoulder and he breathed deeply, almost too deeply, with his mouth hanging open. He still seemed pale, but he had obviously been treated for his wounds. He was clothed in a fresh pair of pants, his torso covered in bandages, his feet bare.

Luffy blinked down at him, considering his options.

Although he thought he should let Zoro sleep, he could not deny how much he wanted to explore the area. But he kept hearing Zoro tell him not to wander off again, and he wasn't sure if it was a dream, but he thought the last time he wandered off there had been stupid men trying to hurt Zoro, as well as hitting and shooting at Luffy. So this time he would not give Zoro a reason to say anything silly, like that he couldn't be his bodyguard anymore.

Mind made up, Luffy dropped to a crouch and gently poked Zoro on the arm, where he appeared to not be hurt judging by the lack of bandages. "Hey," he said in a conversational tone, waiting for Zoro to wake up.

The man didn't stir, his breath still unnaturally deep and slow. Elsewhere, outside in some hallway, an old record player softly played soothing music.

Luffy frowned. He paused, then tried again, a little harder just in case. Poke, poke, poke. "Heyyy, Zoro! Are you awake yet?"

Dark, wild eyes suddenly flew open, and a heavy weight suddenly flung itself at the boy. Within a split second, the prince was pinned against the floor, rough hands pressing his wrists down.

Luffy blinked at Zoro, then started laughing. "You could have just said yes," he informed his bodyguard merrily, unfazed by Zoro's reaction. He was happy to see Zoro awake and moving again. It had been too strange with Zoro covered in cobwebs and breathing so deeply. Very weird.

Zoro suddenly started, drawing back. "Luffy--" His dark gaze stared at the prince, as if he were wondering what he had just done. He eased himself off of his prince, flopping onto the floor, breathing hard. _Still in battle mode..._

For as much as Zoro was affected by what had just transpired, Luffy was quite _un_affected. He sat up immediately and leaned toward Zoro, looking curious and suspicious at the same time. "Are you better now? Your back? Does it hurt? Can we go eat now? I had some food but I'm still hungry and I bet you haven't eaten yet, and I don't know where we are, but they _have _to have food, right?"

"If you ring that bell over there," muttered Zoro, gesturing to the bedside table, "they'll bring you all the food you want." His eyes fell to a half-close, and he eased himself to a sit against the wall. "We're at a really nice clinic whose family is very good friends with yours. We're fortunate because we have no money. Anyone else would have turned us away."

Luffy didn't hear anything Zoro said after the stuff about ringing the bell and getting all the food he wanted. His eyes had become wide, and extremely shiny. He looked at Zoro as if he had just said that the answer to all his dreams and world peace was simply in the next room, and would he like some complementary chocolate while he was at it? He just stared at Zoro with the most childlike, _happiest _expression, and asked excitedly, "_Really? _ All the food I _want?"_

"Uh-huh..." Zoro nodded, tired, his eyes closing completely now. "Knock yourself out."

"_Wow!" _Luffy exclaimed, ecstatic. "This is _great!" _ He jumped up and lunged for the bell, already ringing it before he finished talking. "Hey, hey, Zoro! You want some food too, right? I'll tell them to get some for you too!"

"No," he said. "You can have mine. I need to conserve my strength. I should be sleeping since I'm so tired." Although his logic was severely flawed.

Luffy blinked, confused. "But doesn't food give you energy and strength? How come you're so tired? I'm not! " He stopped, then looked suspiciously at Zoro. "...You didn't try to stay awake the entire time I was asleep, did you?"

His cheeks becoming vaguely flushed, the green-haired man suddenly averted his eyes from Luffy's piercing gaze. "Well..."

Luffy sighed and wandered over to Zoro, crouching in front of him and very lightly whapping him on the head. "Dummy," he said, though he sounded amused, "what kind of bodyguard will you be if you're always exhausted like this? You should eat, and then sleep, and you can use the bed since I'm done with it for now."

Zoro shook his head. "The nurse said you were supposed to use it," he stated simply.

Luffy considered this, then recalled what Zoro had said earlier about the noble family something or other. He was quiet a moment, then pulled back enough to look up at Zoro with an expression that was both devilishly mischievous and completely innocent at the same time. "The nurse won't continue to say that if the Crown Prince tells her his bodyguard will be using the bed," he answered lightly.

Zoro blinked. "But...what about you?" He didn't understand why Luffy looked like he was going to stir some sort of trouble.

Luffy blinked back. "What _about _me? I already got to sleep on it a lot and it's not like I haven't spent my life in big cushy beds... It'll be like an adventure to sleep other places! _Plus, _if everyone freaks out like they always do for some stupid reason, I bet they have another bed somewhere I can use or bring in or something." He stopped. He wanted to add that he really, _really _wanted to explore this new place, but he didn't think that would go over too well with Zoro and he wanted Zoro to _sleep, _not _worry _and follow him around until he died of exhaustion or something silly like that.

"The nurse wanted you to stay in bed." Suppressing a sigh, Zoro ran a hand through his green hair. "And why're you so insistant that _I_ get in bed?"

Luffy frowned. "Why're _you _so insistent that _I _get the bed?" he retorted, crossing his arms. "Everyone always acts like I'm some stupid dessert made of spun-sugar or something. I _don't _break if you drop me, I _don't _get ruined if I fall off the plate, and I _really _won't taste any better if I'm left in some stupid glass case on the highest shelf of the kitchen."

Zoro blinked, somewhat taken aback. "...I don't act like that."

Luffy peered at him. "Yes you do. Sometimes. You still keep reminding me I'm the stupid Prince. The bad man was right at least about that, you know. It _is _pretty stupid that someone gets to have all this stuff for him just because he's born at the right time to the right people." He stopped, then smiled, and added very happily, "But you're _lots _better than most!"

"Excuse me for being your bodyguard."

Luffy nodded and stood, walking toward the bell to pull it. "Okay, you're excused. Now eat and sleep so you can keep being my bodyguard, and if everyone's gonna keep insisting, I _guess _I can stay in bed awhile longer but _only _if you get a bed too."

Zoro heaved himself up, leaning against the wall silently for a moment. Catching his breath, he allowed himself to fall onto the bed, sinking into the pillows and blankets.

Luffy grinned hugely. Wow! This was getting lots easier the more he tried it! He felt a little bad, making Zoro do everything he said, but he _was _trying to help so he thought it was okay. He clanged the bell, looking over at the door as he waited for service.

The door creaked open, and two trays were pushed across the floor and into the room. The door quickly shut behind them. Zoro didn't even shift as this was done, and he remained still.

Luffy blinked, confused. Somehow he thought they would actually walk into the room with the food, but having it pushed in was pretty amusing. Luffy looked over at Zoro curiously, wondering if he had fallen asleep that quickly. He did his best not to move so Zoro would not realize he was watching.

Zoro's eyes were cracked open, and he silently regarded his prince with a tiny smile.

Luffy didn't understand why he was smiling at him, so he just grinned brightly back. "Okay! Let's eat and then you sleep and it'll all be better then," he said as he walked over to pick up the trays and walk back over by the bed, ready to offer one to Zoro.

"I figured you'd want both," he stated simply.

Luffy looked at Zoro oddly. "No, didn't I say you need to eat too?" Was Zoro not listening before? What a weird bodyguard he got... Fun, but weird.

Zoro pushed himself up and propped his body against the pillows. "All right."

Pleased, Luffy grinned and plopped down on the edge of the bed, setting the tray for Zoro in front of him and placing his own tray on his knees as he dug into it voraciously. Zoro quietly ate his meal, finishing it rather quickly. All the while, he observed the prince eat the food, soft amusement in his eyes.

Luffy was in the land of Good Food, and thus completely missed any expressions Zoro had. All his considerable amount of energy and determination were bent on stuffing as much food into his mouth as he could at once without choking himself. He was successful, and his plate was clean almost from the moment it touched his knees.

Finishing his food, Zoro silently set his empty plates aside and settled beneath the blankets, covering himself with them. His eyes gently closed. He really wasn't one to be pushed around, but the swordsman figured that it was important for him to do what his prince wanted him to do as long as it didn't interfere with His Highness's health. An odd smile lit his face. His Highness. What a strange title to have.

Meanwhile, Luffy idly kicked his feet in the air as he eyed Zoro sidelong. He had to be asleep soon, right? Kick.. kick.. kick.. The bed bounced a little each time, but he didn't think it would be enough to keep Zoro awake probably, and maybe it would make him sleep faster if he knew Luffy wasn't running away or something.

Zoro sighed as Luffy jostled the bed. He supposed there was no point in getting irritated, although he pulled a pillow over his face. He grumbled, shifting within the sheets.

Luffy noticed Zoro's movement and slowed his kicking a little, though he didn't stop immediately. He wondered how long it would take Zoro to fall asleep...

"I'd stay put if I were you," stated Zoro simply. "The nurse said you were very lucky."

Luffy put his hands behind his head, loving the feel of his Adventure Hat against his palms. "Really?" he said, sounding entirely too pleased considering the topic, "I'm always lucky! What was I lucky about this time?"

"Bullet grazed an artery, but we got here in time." He silently regarded his prince for a moment. "I won't fail you again."

Luffy laughed. "You didn't fail me! My clothes did. They should be tougher and then I wouldn't get hit." He shrugged with his uninjured shoulder. He wanted to say that getting shot wasn't _that _big of a deal and he thought the nurse was exaggerating, but he didn't bother since they would probably just end up arguing about it.

"Promise me you won't wander away again."

Luffy looked sidelong at Zoro, considering this. He couldn't promise it since that was exactly what he planned to do. But if he said no then Zoro would _never _sleep and then he would _never _get to explore the clinic! He looked back to the ceiling, still idly kicking. Suddenly, the solution occurred to him. He wouldn't _wander _away again... he'd just have to be sure he was hopping or striding or crawling or something else from then on. "Okay," he said, pleased with his solution.

Zoro nodded, turning over onto his side. Surely his prince would never lie to him. And with that, he drifted off to sleep, breathing deeply.

Luffy continued to lie on the bed for several minutes, slowly stopping the kicking until it faded away to nothing. Then he waited a little longer to be _sure _Zoro stayed asleep. After a few more moments of anxious waiting, he slowly eased himself up and crept over to the door, looking over his shoulder every few steps to be sure Zoro had not moved.

But Zoro continued to sleep, his face buried into his arm. He shifted lightly, but did not wake up. The curtains of the window gently blew in the breeze, and the soft record player in the hallway continued to run.

Pleased, Luffy was ready for some Adventuring. Since Zoro was probably exhausted, he figured it would be awhile before he woke up. That gave Luffy plenty of time, and if he got caught he already knew his excuse: he wanted more food. Ringing the bell took too long when he could just go to the kitchen and be done with it. Sneaking to the door and turning the knob as silently as possible, he was into the hallway without a sound. All that sneaking out of his room back at Anchor was really paying off, even if back home he often became too impatient and blundered loudly around anyway since it was easier to be loud and fast than slow and silent.

He glanced back one last time as he shut the door to be certain Zoro was asleep, but his bodyguard had not moved at all, his body still beneath the drapes and canopy of the bed.

Smiling to himself, Luffy shut the door silently and looked around. The hallway was largely empty, a soft, fluffy rug running down the middle of it. A white table hugged the side of the wall, holding a pot of beautiful, red flowers. A window rested across from the table, leaking in rays of happy sunshine that lit up the hallway.

Luffy decided he liked this place and was even more determined to Explore. Putting one hand firmly on his Adventure Hat, he randomly chose a direction (which ended up being 'right') and continued to creep down the hallway, because if he stopped creeping around he would have lied to Zoro.

As he passed the window, the exciting, enticing scene of a bustling market greeted him. Several children ran through the street, a dog chasing after them. An old couple merrily walked together, hand in hand. A young man pulled a cart carrying fresh fish and fruit. The smell of baking cakes reached his nose through that open window, and gleaming, red apples screamed for a glance from a small stand.

The idea of all the new people and food was too exciting for Luffy to pass. He pivoted midstep and ran over, leaning out the window to look around eagerly. A market and cakes and apples and _food! _ He really wanted to go look around! Glancing down, he was happy to see he was on the first level and nothing was there to get in his way.

The ground was dry, sending clouds of dust around his bare feet as he landed from his jump out of the window. Hardly anyone paid him a glance, however, as they were too busy caught up in their own affairs.

Although his shoulder ached from the jump, he ignored it. There were too many wonderful sights and smells! He had far more important things to do, now that he was on his first _real _adventure outside of Anchor. He forgot that he was not supposed to wander since he was too caught up in his thoughts. The shiny red apples had his attention, but just before he reached them, he caught the scent of cooking meat to his left. His head snapped up, nose flaring at the smell. Meat! His _favorite! _ He almost tripped over his feet as he took off running for the stall, his bare feet slapping into the ground. It felt good just to run, bare-feet and all, in a place he didn't know.

A freshly cooked stick of meat hung just in his grasp, sizzling in the morning air. The scent it gave was so alluring as it dangled in the pleasant breeze that Luffy could not resist. Not even thinking, he immediately snatched it down and devoured it in seconds.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him. A bearded man stood over the prince, eyes narrowed shrewdly. "You have money?"

"Nope!" Luffy declared cheerfully, reaching for more food.

"Then you be stealin'?"

Luffy blinked, hand stopping in mid-air. He looked at the man, confused. At the marketplaces in Windmill, he always got food free. It never occurred to him that a person had to pay for it. Someone else did for him, or else the merchant or vendor just let him have it since he _was _the Crown Prince, and Crown Princes don't have to sink to the level of paying a peasant for food. Unfortunately, this lack of experience in the way proper markets worked served only to thoroughly confuse Luffy now.

"What? No, I'm not stealing. I'm eating." He grinned widely at the man.

"Stealing, _stealing_," he hissed, abruptly snatching the boy's wrist. "Shameless rat! We don't do stealin' in these parts." He raised his voice. "Help, _help!_ Thief!"

"OW!" Luffy yelped when the man pulled on the side that he had been shot in. "HEY! I'm not stealing! Let go!" He tugged at his arm, trying to get free from the crazy man.

Several people looked over at the commotion, including an orange-haired girl who had been standing across the way. She was about to look away, dismissing the scene as the typical bluffing of a thief getting caught, but as she watched she began to realize the boy in question really seemed to have no clue what was going on. Perplexed, and slightly pleased to see someone so bad get caught (because honestly, it was people like him that gave _good_ thieves a bad reputation), she tilted her body so she could watch the scene better without seeming obvious about it. Not that it mattered. Several people around her had already turned to stare openly at the scrawny teenager trying to jerk his arm away from the vendor. A few shook their heads to themselves, quietly wondering how society came to this, but others were watching with hard eyes. They lived difficult lives too, and had no reason yet to steal. They felt no sympathy for a thief who hadn't even the decency to be stealthy about it, or quiet about being caught.

"You have money?" the vendor hissed at Luffy, his grip only tightening further.

Luffy winced--that _hurt! _ He looked up at the man, his expression completely innocent. "I don't know... not with me, I think. The bad men stole it from us before we got here."

"You took the food, ate it without paying," emphasized the man. "That be stealin'. We don't tolerate that here. Don't _care_ if your money was stolen. That's what beggin' is for."

Luffy frowned. "But begging's supposed to be beneath me," he said plaintively, tugging on his wrist again. "Let go! I'll go eat somewhere else!"

A few of the people watching the scene snorted or tsk'ed at the comment, and the orange-haired girl narrowed her eyes dangerously. What was _with _this boy? Was he too stupid to understand the marketplace? And--begging being 'beneath him'? Who did he think he _was?_

"You can't give back the food you _stole!_" the vendor screeched. By then, several law enforcers had shown up at the scene, roughly grabbing Luffy by his arms.

"This is the thief?" asked a short, squatty man.

"Yes!" exclaimed the stall owner, eyes wide. "Ate my meat right in front of me, without a beli on 'im!" His raving was beginning to attract quite a crowd.

The law enforcer sighed. "We just recently got this problem under control. Punishment should be swift and severe to warn other potential thieves."

"Ow!" Luffy yelled when the law enforcers jerked his wound again. This was getting annoying. "I am _not _a thief!" he said, irritated, "I just wanted some food, and I saw it, and he didn't _ask _me to pay before I ate it, so it's _his _fault!"

The man stuttered. "_Wh-what_! What kinda freak _are _ya, kid!" He waved his arms in the air. "This is a _market_!"

"What a joke," muttered the other officer, tightening his grip on Luffy. "Let's take him to the square for his punishment."

Luffy squirmed, trying to yank away. "No!" he said firmly. "I don't want punishment! I don't _like _punishment."

"Yeah?" screeched the man. "Well, _I_ don't like little brats who be stealin' my food!"

Suddenly, a heavy hand placed itself on Luffy's shoulder.

"I don't know what he did, but don't punish him," came a gruff, familiar voice.

Luffy froze, looking rather like a child that had just got caught stealing cookies from the kitchen. Which, in a sense, he was. Looking over his shoulder, he was greeted with Zoro's grim expression, which was aimed at the enforcers.

"I'm sorry sir," spoke the first law enforcer. "But justice must be served. Stealing is a serious offense here, in case you didn't know."

"Then I'll take it for him," answered Zoro, his face set into a grimace.

Luffy scowled at that. "No!" he said vehemently, turning to the law enforcer. "This is so stupid! I have _tons _of money back home--why can't I just go get some and give it to you? I didn't know I had to pay, that's all. I've never had to pay _before, _and some jerks stole all our money, so I didn't have any,but I do _not _want my friend hurt!"

Zoro nudged Luffy in the side. "What are you talking about? You don't have any money at all," he said pointedly. Didn't Luffy realize how important it was to keep his identity a secret?

"What?" Luffy asked Zoro, confused. "Yeah I do! Lots and lots of it... I saw the vaults once and it was like a _swimming pool _of gold." He thought that was pretty cool, and his opinion showed in his huge grin, eyes closed happily. "So we just have to tell my dad and then he'll pay you back." It was simple, really. Why didn't anyone get this?

"Luffy!" hissed Zoro. "You're not _rich_, you're not _nobility_, you're not _anything_." He paused, sighing deeply. "This is the real world. Get used to it."

Luffy scowled, but before he could say anything, the law enforcer spoke up. "The law is the law," he said firmly, though his tone was not unkind. He had no idea what the kid was ranting about, and he was getting impatient with the delay. "Punishment is a must."

"I said I'd take it for him," growled Zoro. "What do you want? A written invitation? I'm ready to go now."

"No!" Luffy said angrily, yanking to get away from everyone so he could cross his arms. "I refuse this. Everything." He looked at the law enforcer who seemed to be in charge and spoke in the tone he had been taught since childhood to use, the Princely Tone. "Go back to your station, officers. We'll be on our way."

The law enforcer rolled his eyes. "I don't think I could even bring myself to punish an idiot like this." Noticing the boy's pajamas, however, he raised an eyebrow.

"He escaped from the clinic," said Zoro simply.

"Ah. Then I'll take him back," stated the other officer, taking Luffy by the arm, beginning to lead him away.

"I'll take this one to the square," said the first law enforcer, leading a silent Zoro in the opposite direction.

Luffy dug his heels in. "_No!_ What are you doing? Let go! Let Zoro go too! What are you going to do? _Let go!_"

But no matter how he struggled, the officer had too strong a grip. Still, Luffy did not give up. He paused though, looking up at his bodyguard, expecting him to break free any moment or at least look over his shoulder reassuringly. He could overpower those men no problem, but he just walked along calmly, tensely, and never so much as twitched his head as if considering looking back.

Luffy stared, shocked somehow, and for a brief moment he ceased his struggling. The wind blew past from the right; bringing with it a cloud of dust that clung to clothing and blurred the eyes. And somehow, in the space of that dust, Zoro was gone.

* * *

_To be continued..._

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_Feedback is greatly appreciated!  
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	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello, everyone! Thanks for waiting for the next chapter. This time, we actually had to rewrite it for various reasons, so we hope you enjoy it. A special thanks goes out to Griever for beta-ing it!  
-Quatrina and Karaleyn

* * *

_Chapter Four_

* * *

The man merely hoisted Luffy up from the ground, slinging him over his shoulder. "Come along, son," he stated simply, striding back towards the clinic while a crowd of people stared. The orange-haired girl watched the interactions with dark, shrewd eyes. Her expression was hard to read, though if anything she looked contemplative, and a bit cold. A merchant woman wandered to her side, attracted by the noise and commotion. She glanced over, and started when she recognized the girl. "Nami! Haven't seen you in awhile... Back in these parts again?" 

Nami barely glanced over, recognizing the woman as someone she had worked with in the past. She nodded as she turned back to the spectacle. "I just arrived this morning."

The woman smiled to herself, darkly amused. "That doesn't bode well for the rich in the area, does it?" She chuckled quietly, but when Nami only smirked to herself the woman cocked her head toward the commotion. "So. What's going on?" She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms idly as she watched the struggle.

Nami shrugged unconcernedly. "Some guy got caught stealing," she said a bit absently. "I think he's insane. He keeps saying he didn't know he needed to pay, and, I quote, he didn't 'want punishment' and didn't _'like _punishment.' He said he refused."

The woman looked sharply over at Nami at the comment then burst out laughing. "Is he a simpleton?" she asked rhetorically, then tilted her head and continued, "He's being sent to the square, I assume?"

"Mm, no," Nami said, her arms crossed as she intently watched the boy struggling. "That's the interesting part. Someone came to take the punishment for him."

The woman raised her eyebrows, looking darkly impressed. "Must be some idiot heroic friend he's got to do that."

Nami nodded, thinking to herself, '_Or something...' _ She had lied, in a sense. While someone taking the punishment for another was interesting, the most intriguing part so far was the boy's claims of a vault. She had immediately listened closer and had noticed the strange comment by his friend about him not being nobility. An odd thing to say to someone... unless they _were _nobility, in poor disguise. Nami watched as the boy almost wrenched himself away, only to be more firmly held back. This could prove to be rather profitable... She made certain she memorized his and his friend's faces; she could smell the scent of money on that boy from a mile away, and his strange behavior had only deepened her suspicions.

He was hiding something. And she intended to find out eventually exactly what that something was, and just _how _much beli it was worth...

"_Hey!" _Luffy yelled loudlyin the distance, hitting the man and squirming violently to get away. "Let me go _immediately _or I'll have you sent to prison!"

The moments seemed to rush by before a group of doctors pulled Luffy from the officer's arms. "A crazy one, eh?" he asked as the doctors gave their thanks.

Luffy barely waited until his feet touched the ground before he lunged violently away from the doctors and officer and sprinted back the way he came. If anyone got in his way he simply shoved them roughly aside; he didn't have time for delays. A light-haired man fell to the side, a dark-haired woman was pushed away... Luffy slammed into an orange-haired girl as she started to dodge, not even bothering to glance at her as she growled something angrily in his wake. Luffy was beyond paying attention to the outside world; his attention was zeroed down to one fact: Zoro was in trouble and he needed help.

Several hands reached out to grab him, snatching at his arms, his legs, his side, his injured shoulder--

"Fool! What do you think you're doing?"

"Eeek! He's crazy! Get away from him!"

"Someone tackle him!" Several officers caught up, forcefully pulling him to the ground.

Luffy went down hard, but he wasn't small and surprisingly strong for nothing. He wriggled and squirmed and shoved roughly at them, trying to jump back to his feet so he could get to the square. He saw an opening and dove for it, but at that moment, something hit his head from behind -- hard and heavy.

Luffy saw spots, his ability to function severely hampered for a few precious seconds. Although he slumped against the ground, reeling from the hit, he refused to lose consciousness or give up. He clung to the feeling of the dust beneath his hands, of the aching pain in his injured shoulder, and struggled to continue on his way. Dust caught in his throat, making him cough and jarring his shoulder.

A woman's arms suddenly encircled him from behind, firm but gentle. "Luffy-sama," whispered a vaguely familiar voice. "Please come back."

Nami shifted closer to the two, not even noticing that her companion had disappeared after the crazy boy was tackled. She absently rubbed at her arm where he had shoved her; annoyed that he had not even glanced over for apology, she watched the woman's arrival with narrowed eyes. Interesting... how had _she _gotten involved?

Twisting to see who held him, Luffy blinked at the sight of a woman about his age, blond hair pale and falling slightly into her warm brown eyes. She was looking at him almost sadly, and though he had never seen her before, she still seemed so familiar that he found himself relaxing slightly. "Who--?"

"My name is Kaya," she said, smiling when she saw that he had calmed down. "I'm the doctor who helped you at the clinic, even if you weren't awake. Please, you have to come back with me. You'll only harm yourself more out here."

He stared at her for a moment then suddenly shook his head, looking in the direction Zoro had disappeared with a serious expression. The guards had backed away when the doctor arrived but hovered around in case they were needed. Luffy pulled away from her, firmly but not so suddenly he would hurt her, and regarded her with intense, dark eyes. "Then you know I was with someone, and I won't let them take him away."

Kaya's eyes widened slightly as Luffy regarded her with that chillingly determined expression. Eyebrows furrowing with concern, she took a step toward the prince. "I think you need to come inside and rest. They'll bring your friend back. Trust me; I'll make sure they do."

Luffy glared, frustrated that even the people who were supposedly on his side weren't helping. "So I should just _abandon him _for now? Forget it! I'll rest once I find him." He turned resolutely and strode in the direction he had last seen Zoro.

Suddenly running after him, Kaya desperately grabbed at his arm. "Wait! You can't!"

He paused just long enough to pull at his arm. "Yes, I can."

"But you'll just be in the way," Kaya explained, looking positively alarmed now. "He might get hurt even more!"

"I won't know 'till I--" Luffy stopped, turning to her with a startled frown, his voice raising a bit in volume. "Wait, what? _Hurt_ more? What're they _doing_ to him anyway? Everyone just said 'punishment' but didn't say what."

Kaya suddenly placed a hand over her mouth, as if she had regretted mentioning that piece of information. "Please don't get upset. He'll be all right, but you _must_ stay out of the way."

Luffy stared at her, his eyes narrowing and expression darkening, and without even answering he took off running toward where he had last seen Zoro's familiar green hair standing out in the crowd. What was _wrong _with these people, anyway? And why did people keep expecting him to abandon Zoro the moment things went even the slightest bit wrong? Hadn't anyone ever heard of _loyalty _outside of Anchor?

Kaya's cry for him to stop was lost amidst the sudden shouts that seemed to surround Luffy. Several of the guards who had lingered around immediately noticed his flight. Without wasting any time, they bolted after him, shoving through whoever happened to get in their way. "Oi! Stop! _Stop!_"

Ignoring the commotion behind him, Luffy burst into a cross street and looked around quickly. He had no idea which way they had turned, but some of the people to the right were staring at him and some were in a crowd growing near the far corner. Skidding to a halt, he pivoted and started running in that direction.

"_Hey!_ Stop that guy!"

A group of several large, burly men sprung out from the crowd, tackling Luffy from the side.

Staggering against the sudden attack, Luffy tried to keep running but was thrown off balance. Despite his best efforts, he still crashed to his side under so much sudden weight. Irritated, he unconsciously reverted to his martial arts training and all the times he had sparred with Ace. He knew how to handle people larger than him, but it was harder with several at once.

"Get _off me!_" he yelled angrily, struggling so much that he almost twisted out of their hands. Someone got a good grip on his shoulder, probably not realizing it was injured when they shoved him to the ground by it. He drew in a sharp breath and connected a solid punch against the man's cheek, while kicking at someone else. A hand grasped one of his ankles and he ripped the leg away in a kick. Two people flipped him over, maybe thinking he would be easier to control with his face against the dirt if they could get his arms behind his back. But while someone held onto his lower right arm, he got his left hand beneath him and heaved himself up enough to get one knee against the ground.

There was yelling and the startled scream of a woman when he almost scrabbled under someone's arm, but hands gripped the back of his shirt and yanked so hard the fabric almost ripped. Two hands each pulled back on his arms and a leg appeared behind his knees to knock him off balance. When he fell to the ground with a _whump, _a large hand shoved roughly down at the middle of his chest and firmly held him there while the others got a better hold on his arms and legs. Coughing, Luffy glared up at the angry faces hovering over him. "Let me _go, _you idiots!" He furiously tried to shake off their grip.

"Keep holding him down!" a man shouted from behind the guards, and soon a male doctor had eased his way in. There was a flurry of movement as Luffy almost broke from their grasp, and the newcomer promptly produced a syringe.

"--I don't know if that's really necessary!" cried Kaya, a hand flying over her mouth again as she watched in horror. "You might hurt him!"

But before anything else could be said, the sharp needle pierced Luffy's shoulder.

Trying to twist away from the intrusion, Luffy's struggling just made the hands push him down harder and someone grip his shoulder fiercely. Luffy yelled something with a mixture of pain and anger, but within a few moments, the commotion around him became a confused blur and he found his eyes drooping despite all his efforts to keep them open. He mumbled something that sounded like a protest, but the words started to slur and he slumped against the ground, eyes sliding closed.

* * *

_At times, it seemed like he had actually died from his wounds, and this trek through the desert was just some hell that had come to swallow him whole. The dark sky rolled out for what seemed to be forever, and the sand was starting to sting at Zoro's eyes as they traveled straight into a wind gust. They'd barely been out on the move for eight hours, and they'd already been attacked and injured. He wasn't sure how long it had been since then, only that he needed to steer the horse and keep the prince's body from flopping around against his chest like a limp rag doll with every step the animal took. _

_He wasn't going to lie to himself - he had no idea where they were going or what was going to happen to them. The wounds on his back ached and throbbed, and the swordsman could feel his own consciousness threaten to ebb away. All he knew was to press forward, get to Syrup Village, find a woman named Kaya..._

_Then, at last - something glistened in the distance. A town, calling to him. Either fate or luck was on their side, and Zoro urged the horse to go as fast as he could without upsetting Luffy's position. Exhaustion plagued his eyes; he was like an empty shell as he entered what he faintly hoped was Syrup Village. Drifting up to a lone drunk that was staggering down one of the deserted streets, Zoro felt himself speak._

_"...Benevelene Clinic...?"_

_When the stranger gave him a funny look, Zoro's stomach went cold at the thought of being off course. But then, he was pointed in the right direction, and the horse sprinted off accordingly. Soon, he halted in front of a two-story building with glowing windows that was clearly marked "BENEVELENE." Breathing heavily now, he slid off the steed, gathered the injured Prince into his arms, and staggered toward the front porch. His foot had barely hit the rug before his broad shoulder slammed against the door, calling for someone - anyone - to let them inside._

_There was a flurry of confusing motion and suddenly the door was yanked open, several hands reaching out to steady the swordsman when he almost toppled over. Words fell over each other as several people spoke at once in a mixture of surprise and confusion._

"_What's wrong--?"_

"_They're both covered in blood! Someone get a stretcher!"_

"_Get one of the doctors--"_

_"I know, I know--who's in?"_

_Faintly aware of the people around him, Zoro took in a sharp breath. "Kaya," he said hoarsely. "Get me Kaya."_

_An echo of his words passed through the gathered crowd as one of the nurses tried to get Luffy out of Zoro's arms, murmuring that everything would be fine. When he only held the prince tighter, she relented instead of exacerbating their injuries by forcing it._

_A woman in a white lab coat appeared across the room, blond hair mussed and expression startled when she saw the two near the door. The taller one looked like he was dead on his feet, and the one in his arms hardly looked any better. Their clothing was ripped and covered in blood and dirt, and for a brief moment she could only stare before she could kick herself into motion._

"_It's alright," she said soothingly, if a little frazzled, as she approached them quickly. She spoke to keep him awake and let him know what was happening. "I'm Kaya... They said you asked for me." Laying a gentle hand on the green-haired man's upper arm, she placed her other on the other man's neck to check his heartbeat, her dark eyes concerned but professional as she looked them both over for injuries._

_Zoro's bloodshot eyes looked up from the prince's prone form, calmly meeting Kaya's gaze. "I'm Roronoa Zoro. Ace sent me here."_

_Her eyes widened considerably at the words, her hand on his arm tightening as she looked sharply at the unconscious man in her arms. "My God," she whispered to herself, then suddenly stepped back and was ordering those into motion around her. Information passed quickly around them--which rooms were open, what to have ready there, who would help lead the two there. _

_Two male nurses appeared at Zoro's side, one steadying him with a hand on the elbow and the other reaching for Luffy, saying, "Here, let me help."_

_"I can carry him myself," Zoro muttered gruffly._

_The man frowned but Kaya's voice carried from across the room as she strode off, "It's alright, Jim. Just leave him be. Roronoa-san, please go with them. I will be right there after I get some things together."_

_Jim backed off at her words and, exchanging a glance with the other nurse, reached for Zoro's other elbow to help support him._

_The bodyguard allowed them to at least do that, and the two men escorted him to a small examination room of sorts. It was brightly lit, with two comfortable looking beds and a table. An ornate rug was sprawled across the floor, giving it a much cozier feel than a regular doctor's office. After being led to one of the beds, Zoro finally agreed to put Luffy down onto the covers before sitting down on the other one._

_The nurses hovered just inside the room for the few minutes it took for Kaya to reappear again. She smiled at the nurses, one hand unconsciously pulling her hair behind her ear as she distractedly looked Zoro and Luffy over. "Thank you," she said to the nurses, setting a bag and tray on the table, "I'll ring the bell if I need assistance. I think I will be fine, but could you please be sure we are not disturbed? They're old acquaintances, and I think we'd like some privacy." Nodding, the two backed out of the room and shut the door firmly._

_Kaya glanced briefly at the door before walking swiftly to Luffy's side, leaning over him with her hair falling down to cover her features. Pulling his shirt from his shoulder as gently as she could, Kaya peered at the revealed wound with narrowed eyes. "This looks like a gunshot wound," she said, and though she did not form it as a question it was clear she wanted Zoro to verify._

_"Yeah." Zoro nodded. "We were attacked by a group of bandits or something."_

"_Hmm." She reached down and cranked something by the bed, causing the head of it to rise a few inches until Luffy's torso was at an incline. She pulled him forward just enough to see the exit wound in back and make a soft noise. Without speaking at first, Kaya immediately began cleaning his wound, reaching for items on the tray. Her body covered most of what she was doing from Zoro's angle, and Luffy remained unconscious._

_Zoro watched her warily. "What are you doing?"_

_Glancing over her shoulder, she looked a little sheepish. "Oh, I'm so sorry! You must be very concerned and I haven't even..." She stopped, smiling at him and turning back to Luffy as she started over. "First I had to clean the wound to get rid of anything that may cause complications later. He's covered in dirt and blood, but his clothing did a fair job of keeping a lot out. It's a good thing you didn't try taking his shirt off; a clean cloth would have been much better, but at least the shirt helped encourage clotting." She reached behind herself and dropped a dirty wad of cloth onto the tray, reaching for a clean cloth._

"_I know some people don't like details, but somehow I think you... Well, he seems to be in surprisingly good condition, considering. You two must have been traveling quite a bit? Even so, with enough bleeding..." She paused, reached for another few cloths and turning back to Luffy again. "I don't see signs of an infection but I needed to elevate his wound above his heart to slow the bleeding some. You must have been doing that on your own or he would have been in critical condition by now." Another bloody cloth, another clean one. "He'll be weak for awhile and will probably sleep quite a bit, but once I irrigate and suture--" _

_Distractedly, she dropped another cloth on the table and reached for a bottle of clear liquid. "Umm, clean and stitch him up--he should be alright. I'll need to put bacitracin--that is, an antibiotic--over the wound along with a moist dressing for twenty-four hours, and he should keep it elevated for forty-eight hours at which point we'll redress his shoulder." She stopped talking and smiled reassuringly at Zoro over her shoulder. "It will be fine. As soon as I have him stabilized I'll look at you. Were you also injured by the bandits?"_

_Zoro probably only understood about a third of what she said, but he visibly relaxed as soon as she said that Luffy would heal. "No, but I was injured from an explosion awhile back..."_

_Kaya continued her work without explaining anymore, but she looked over her shoulder with raised eyebrows. "An explosion?"_

_Zoro nodded. "Yeah. A...bomb...set off at Anchor Palace, and we had to leave a lot sooner than anticipated." He glanced toward the burning lantern. "Ace told me about you and this place after he lined me up for this job and before he disappeared. Said that you were one of the only medics who really knew who Luffy was. We were gonna stop by here anyway, but I'd been hoping it'd be under better circumstances."_

_Kaya nodded. "My parents are the personal doctors of Luffy-sama's parents, though no one knows that here. He mentioned the new bodyguard may come, but I had hoped it would be less distressful." She smiled a little wryly to herself and, stepping away from Luffy, approached Zoro. "I was told to look for Ace but I haven't seen him yet. Have you heard from him at all since he left?"_

_Zoro shook his head. "No one expected him to disappear. I initially thought he'd recommended me for the position so I could help him out sometimes, but now I'm beginning to wonder if the whole thing was planned so he could leave." Pausing, he glanced toward Luffy. "The King and Queen are frantic because they're afraid that something might have happened to him."_

_Kaya sighed and nodded as if she had expected that answer. "When he went out of his way to tell me of you and warned that you may stop by, I had wondered if he was planning something. I wonder where he may be..." She moved to the other side of the bed so she could see his back and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "This will hurt but I need to remove your shirt." _

_Zoro lightly tensed beneath her touch. "You're finished with Luffy?"_

_Kaya smiled, though he could not see it. "Yes. We'll let him to rest for now." She waited to remove his shirt until she had his permission, though. _

_"I see," he said, stiffly moving to shrug off his shirt._

_Kaya helped him, wincing when the material stuck to his skin and caked blood. "I'll get you painkillers as soon as I can," she said apologetically, "but first we need to clean this and slow the blood. Could you face the other way so I can reach the table, please?"_

_Shifting some, Zoro silently complied to where his back was facing Kaya. "I don't need any painkillers, so take your time."_

_She was silent a moment as she reached for the second water bin and carefully cleaned his back. "You must have a very high pain tolerance, Roronoa-san, to have come so far with such wounds. I can't imagine what would have happened had you run into any of the factions as well as those bandits. I understand that the King and Queen must have been in a hurry, but weren't you worried?"_

_"We would have made it," Zoro replied simply. "Besides, I didn't think any factions would really know of our whereabouts."_

"_Likely not, but if there was an explosion in the palace then there must be a traitor somewhere in the castle, and who knows what information was leaked? Not to mention the prophecy recently being released to the public..." She trailed off with a sigh, shaking her head. "It's a bad time for Merriana, but worse for the royalty. Before, at least Luffy-sama had some sense of anonymity, but now anyone who's read the prophecy need only look at his back to know who he is."_

_"Wait, what?" Zoro suppressed a wince as Kaya worked on his wounds. "You mean all that prophecy stuff that was printed in the newspapers wasn't fake?"_

"_Oh, do people think it is?" She sounded surprised and relieved. "As far as I know, it's true. I've only seen bits, mostly what's been in the papers, but I know for sure the part about a mark appearing on the Crown Prince is true. My parents said that Luffy-sama did not develop the mark on his lower back until he was four, when the King and Queen removed him from public eye."_

_"Ace told me they were concerned about any rumors getting out about their son and that people started acting up once the 'prophecy' leaked out and was published," Zoro muttered. "He told me Luffy doesn't know much about it 'cause everyone just wanted him to be a kid, but I think that was the dumbest mistake anyone could have made. He's so ridiculously sheltered."_

_She blinked, a bit taken aback by his bluntness. "Well... The Queen can never have children again, and Luffy-sama _is _the only heir for Merriana. There are already enough problems with those factions demanding that Merriana and Arabasta become one country again. If something happens to him, his family has no future and the country's stability is completely ruined."_

_Zoro blinked slightly. "Ace didn't mention that detail to me," he muttered. "Still, though...you'd think he'd know a bit more than he does. It's not like they never let him outside of the walls. Ace said that he'd walk with him through the city a few times a month so Luffy wouldn't get bored and run off by himself."_

_Kaya shrugged, finishing cleaning his back and moving to tending the wounds as best she could. "I don't really know much about that, except that all pictures and descriptions of him were removed from the public when he was younger. I'm sure Ace-san mentioned that no one really knows what he looks like now."_

_"Yeah, I guess they didn't parade around the fact that he's the Crown Prince whenever they had their 'outings,'" snorted Zoro. "I guess it works to his advantage in a situation like this."_

"_Yes, it does. They may have known this day would come far before any of us did." _

_Zoro's breath lightly hitched as Kaya tended to a particularly tender spot. "We probably shouldn't stay here too long, though."_

_Kaya bit her lip thoughtfully. "Benevelene is sanctuary for as long as you need it, Roronoa-san, and at least I need to insist that you two rest for a day or two. But... I'll admit I'm afraid that too long a stay will let the assassins find you both."_

_"I'll just have to stay on the lookout while we recuperate," Zoro muttered, his eyes narrowing some. He wished that they had been able to leave in a more planned and orderly way; it would have made this part of their trip a lot less painful. "Thanks for keeping us here."_

_She leaned toward him with widened, concerned eyes, even if he could not see her expression. "I will always help you both, but if you leave too soon you'll risk infection!"_

_Sensing her gaze on him, Zoro smirked a little. "As muddled as Ace's explanations were, he was right about one thing. You really are a reliable doctor."_

_Kaya retreated with a blush, dropping her hands from his back as she finished her work. She busied herself with putting everything away in its proper place. "Thank you, Roronoa-san," she said, still blushing and not looking in his direction, "but really, I am just doing what any doctor would. The truly reliable one is you, for keeping Luffy-sama safe through all that trouble already."_

_"You give me too much credit," Zoro muttered, but he left it at that as he turned to watch Luffy's unconscious form._

_She smiled to herself but said nothing back, her gaze straying to the prince as well. He looked completely at peace with his mouth wide and expression free of discomfort. Closing her bag, she backed toward the door and bowed her head slightly. "When you are ready, please allow Jim to bring you to the room we've prepared for you. Once there, just ring the bell for any assistance, including if you're hungry."_

_Zoro watched her carefully for a moment before nodding. "Sure. Thanks a lot."_

_Kaya's smile widened. "You're very welcome, Roronoa-san. Please rest well tonight." She closed the door behind her and left the two alone until they could be moved to more comfortable quarters._

* * *

There was a faint buzzing in his head as his mind tried to swim back into wakefulness. He could feel the dim lighting try to penetrate his closed lids, and his strong arms soon moved to pull a pillow over his head. It was a move his body soon regretted, however, as a sharp, sickening pain shot down his back and deep into his muscles. It was enough to send Roronoa Zoro's eyes flying open, a strangled choke barely escaping his throat. 

As soon as the pain began to subside, the green-haired man gazed around himself. He was flat on his stomach; the familiar sterile walls of the clinic once again greeted him.

Pieces of his earlier encounter began to flood his mind. Being led away from Luffy -- the scaffold -- his hands being bound -- the crack of the whip --

But where was Luffy?

Immediately, the bodyguard sat up, swallowing the bile that rose in the back of his throat as his gaze darted around the room.

There was a bed to his right that he had not noticed before, set just within reaching distance if he were to lean over with his arm extended. Pale tan caught his eye, and just as he recognized Luffy's straw hat resting on the side of the bed, the mound of covers beside it stirred.

Tousled dark hair appeared from beneath the blanket as Luffy sat up slightly and peered around. "Huh? Zoro..?" He sounded groggy and confused, but otherwise fine.

Zoro watched him carefully a moment before easing himself back down against the bed. Luffy seemed to have just been sleeping, which meant that he'd done his job as a bodyguard by keeping him away from harm.

Pushing himself up with a bit more effort than would normally be used, Luffy blinked in his bodyguard's direction. "Hey..." He trailed off a moment, staring at him, as if he had briefly forgotten what he was going to say. "Hey, you're back."

Zoro only grunted in response.

Luffy frowned slightly, more a distracted expression to himself than anything. He felt confused somehow, but at first couldn't remember why. It took a few seconds, but memories of being shoved to the ground and the pierce of a needle filtered through. That's right.. Zoro was taken and he was trying... He blinked slowly, feeling a little subdued, as if the range of his emotions and reflexes was still trying to escape the fog of drugged dreams.

Pushing the covers down, he twisted until his legs dangled off the side of the bed so he could lean against his arms. Distractedly, he noted that his hands looked clean enough and his clothing only showed minimal wear. Kaya must have cleaned him up before he slept, which was good. The last thing he wanted was Zoro upset about his fight while he was trying to recover.

At the thought, Luffy searched what he could see of the man, but nothing immediately caught his attention to give him an idea what the punishment had been. He had all his limbs that he could tell, and although he looked unhappy, Luffy couldn't see any wounds. Mind finally catching up to the present, Luffy watched his bodyguard carefully.

"Are you okay?" he asked after a brief moment of silence, sounding truly concerned.

Zoro was quiet for a moment, his dark eyes settling onto the prince. His gaze bore heavily into him until he answered, "I'm alive, aren't I?"

Luffy blinked, caught between curious and confused. "...Well, yeah, I can see that, and I'm glad. But what happened? Are you _really _okay, 'cause it sounded like they were gonna do something terrible..." He watched him, finding Zoro's intensely serious stare impossible to turn from.

"About what you'd expect," Zoro snorted faintly. "Their laws say that a thief receives thirty lashes with a whip, so..." He trailed off for a moment, his gaze averting from Luffy's face for a moment.

Luffy stared, surprised. "Thir... _What? _They--?" He leaned forward, voice and expression heated. "How could they do that!"

Zoro stiffly waved a hand in dismissal. "It's over. There's no use in crying about it now."

"But it's _stupid!" _Luffy seethed, standing so he could come closer to Zoro's bed. "And you weren't even the one who _took _the food! What kind of--?" He broke off, glaring, words apparently failing him.

"It was my choice to do it," Zoro grumbled. "As your bodyguard, I couldn't let you be in that position." He took a heavy breath and shifted painfully beneath his sheets. Meeting Luffy's gaze again, Zoro's lips pressed into a thin line. "You lied to me."

Those four words stopped any anger Luffy may have built in his head. He completely stilled, staring at Zoro for a moment with the grave comment hanging in the air. Guilt welled up, and he broke eye contact so he could kneel beside the bed, staring at the floor.

"I'm... so sorry, Zoro," he said softly, complete sincerity and regret in his tone. "I know it's not enough, but..." He leaned forward, his forehead touching the ground, his voice muffled. "I was wrong and stupid and I'm really, really sorry."

Zoro watched Luffy carefully, a soft frown pulling on his mouth. He was a man who took his promises seriously, and it deeply bothered him to see that the prince had wandered away so casually. Dishonesty was a trait that the bodyguard had difficulty tolerating, but seeing Luffy bowing before _him_, of all people, was a moving gesture of apology in of itself. Even so, Zoro didn't feel right in immediately extending his forgiveness.

"It will take me a long time to ever trust you again," he said instead.

Something twisted in Luffy's stomach and after a moment he straightened his back but stayed kneeling, unable to meet Zoro's gaze yet. "I know," he said softly, the weight of his unthinking actions only now fully occurring to him. He felt like he should explain, so Zoro didn't think he took him too lightly, didn't care what happened.

"...I just got so caught up in the adventure. I wanted some food... look around the clinic. But you needed sleep and..." He looked up finally, staring at Zoro with quiet, penitent eyes. "I saw the market and... I just wanted to go. I'm sorry."

"You realize that this means that I won't let you wander around on your own for awhile," Zoro muttered. His face slightly softened, however. "But I'm glad you're safe."

Luffy scowled, feeling sullen and angry along with relieved. "It still shouldn't've happened! I don't get it... In Windmill I took food all the time and no one cared _there. _It's not like they knew I'm the prince or anything since that's just the village. I mean, Anchor Palace they know, of course, but I don't pay there either. Since when did that change?"

Zoro barely suppressed a sigh. "Look, I don't know _what_ happened with all of that, but I think there's a whole lot of other stuff you don't know. And not because you're a prince, either. I think people have been deliberately hiding things from you."

"...What?" Luffy stared. "The merchant people did? Why would they do that? What sort of things?"

Shaking his head slightly, Zoro's eyebrows furrowed. "No, even deeper than that. I think there're a lot of things that your family or Ace never told you."

"My family?" Luffy echoed, taken aback. "Like what? _Why?" _

Noting that he was only succeeding in getting Luffy riled up, Zoro continued to speak calmly. "I think I should start from the beginning so there won't be any confusion. First of all, I wasn't found as a replacement for Ace exactly. Actually, he noticed that I was in need of a bit of money and asked if I'd be interested in a job, which leads me to wonder if he intended to disappear from the very start." Pausing, the green-haired fellow lightly shook his head. "But that's beside the point. Either way, what I'm about to tell you is everything he told me. This is all stuff that Ace said you didn't know, but I'm gonna sit here and explain it to you clearly 'cause I can already tell there's going to be a lot of problems if you don't realize just how bad this situation is."

Staring, Luffy nodded. "Alright. But... you think Ace _knew _he was leaving? Why wouldn't he just tell me or someone?"

"That's something only Ace can answer," Zoro stated simply. "I can only tell you what I know for sure."

Pushing himself up, Luffy sat on the edge of his bed and leaned against his hands. "Okay. What'd he tell you, then?"

"That your parents are scared to death of losing you, for one," Zoro stated. "Apparently they can't have anymore children, so they feel like your family's future is banking on you living. Haven't you noticed that no one seems to recognize your face even though you're Crown Prince of Merriana?"

"Well... Yeah, I guess. But it's probably like that for most princes, isn't it? I never really thought about it." He had no idea his parents couldn't have any more children, either. How odd that a stranger would learn such a personal fact before he did.

"Are you kidding?" Zoro snorted. "Most people know what royalty looks like through public speeches or portraits or whatever. Your parents started making sure you stayed out of the public eye when you were about four. The only reason Ace let you walk around the city of Windmill as much as he did was because he knew you'd try and run away if you were kept inside all the time."

"Oh." Luffy frowned thoughtfully. It was true, he probably _would _have. "I guess that's why they always told me not to say I was the prince in Windmill. But even if they can't have any more kids, why'd they keep me from the public? What's so different about me? I bet other kings and queens have only one kid too."

Zoro was quiet for a moment. "Ace told me that you have a mark on your back."

Luffy blinked, startled by the change in topic. "Huh? Yeah, I do. It's just a birthmark. Why, do you wanna see it?" He started to pull his shirt up and twist in case the answer was yes.

"Ace kinda told me about it," Zoro cut him off before Luffy could fully show him the mark. "Anyway, I found out that mark of yours...sort of marks you as a person." He paused a moment as if considering how to word what he was about to say next. Deciding that bluntness would probably be the best method for a complex situation, Zoro plunged onward.

"There's a prophecy out there that predicts your death and the collapse of the monarchy. I always thought it sounded like crap, but evidently a lot of people really believe it's true."

Dropping his shirt down and turning back to Zoro, Luffy's eyes widened in surprise. "...Oh." He paused, thinking about this. So many little things over his life started to make more sense, like how protective his parents had been, and how Ace always seemed to turn up at his side when he was in trouble. Even earlier...

Shaking his head slightly to bring himself back to the present, he cocked his head and stared at Zoro with a serious expression. "So it's just... when I die, the country is in danger? Or does it say... _how _I die?" _Or when_, he wondered, but didn't say aloud.

"I don't know the prophecy off hand," Zoro replied simply. "But your parents were pretty upset when they found that mark on your back. After that, only friends of the royal family were allowed to see you. Mostly nobility and servants within the castle. As for the general public, they were forbidden to learn anything about you while you were growing up. Everyone knows your name, but nobody knows what you look like."

Luffy was quiet a moment before he started thinking aloud. "They always laughed when I told them my name in Windmill. Maybe they thought I was pretending to be the prince." He paused, and frowned. "They thought hiding me away would save me?"

Zoro stared up at the floor for a moment as if thinking. "Evidently. And if you didn't know all that stuff, I doubt you're aware of the latest political crap that's been going on that's been making all this worse."

Shaking his head, Luffy brought his legs up to sit more comfortably. "Just that there were bandits I wasn't expecting… What is it?"

"Well, I'm sure you at least knew that Merriana used to be joined with Arabasta, right?" Zoro asked. "About a hundred years ago or something. I don't know the exact details, but a lot of Merrianians resented the fact that the country was split in two. Especially since Arabasta just established a parliamentary system that Merriana hasn't even considered yet. A lot of people want to have more 'voice' in the government, I guess."

"Yeah, I knew that. The Nefertaris are my distant cousins... Our ancestors were twins or something, even though Vivi and I don't look alike at all." He leaned back, playing with the tip of his shirt idly. "So my parents just aren't listening to the people, and now they're mad. And, what? Since the prophecy says something about me dying and the monarchy falling, they think it's easier to kill me than to just stage their own revolution? Isn't that sort of... lazy?"

Zoro snorted. "I guess. But, that's the way it stands right now. Your parents were starting to suspect that some of their inner circle had turned against them, and the bomb that went off during lunch the other day proved that. And so, here we are."

Luffy made a soft noise somewhere between a snort and a chuckle. He watched Zoro contemplatively for a moment, something like respect showing in his expression. "Thanks for telling me, Zoro. It couldn't have been that hard, right? Did they just expect me to die not knowing anything?" His tone was somewhere between frustrated and confused.

"I think they wanted you to just be a kid and let everyone else worry about the complicated stuff," Zoro replied simply. "Maybe they thought it was unfair to place such a heavy burden on someone so young when you didn't even ask for it in the first place."

"Hmm." Luffy thought about that a moment, then nodded decisively and smiled. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Zoro watched Luffy with slightly narrowed eyes. "So, there shouldn't be anymore misunderstandings between us now."

"None," Luffy agreed, the smile widening.

"Good." The swordsman grunted some as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position. "The stakes are too high for you not to know what's going on." Maybe he'd crossed a huge line in telling the prince all of this when everyone had gone through great pains not to, but Zoro knew it was for the best that Luffy understand the gravity of the situation.

"Yeah. Not like I had a death wish or anything before, but now I _really _know not to die," Luffy said with a laugh that faded to a grin. "But now I know everything so it's alright."

The green-haired man's dark gaze settled carefully onto the prince despite the throbbing pain that lanced through his back. "You're taking it pretty well."

Luffy shrugged. "Getting upset won't change anything... I only was before 'cause I didn't know what was happening. At least now I know what to expect." He paused, his expression turning more serious. "I wanna see the prophecy sometime though."

Zoro frowned some. "We can't go hunting for that now."

"I'm sure we'll find it along the way," Luffy answered unconcernedly. "I want a copy when we do."

"In the meantime, we need to decide where we're supposed to go from here," Zoro muttered. "Your parents told me we'd find out what to do next, but no one's been able to tell us anything since we arrived. And we can't stay at the clinic forever."

"We can just see where we end up, as long as it's not Arabasta or here." Luffy brightened. "But the sea would be really cool!"

Frowning some, Zoro lightly rolled his eyes. "That's easy enough for you to say." He paused and settled against the pillows in exhaustion. "I'll have to think about that later."

"The sea, Zoro, the _sea!" _Luffy insisted, getting himself excited now. "It's somewhere to the right of us, I think, and it'd be _great!" _

"'To the right?'" echoed Zoro. "You've barely been outside of that cushy palace of yours. Since when were you a navigator?"

"I saw a picture once," Luffy said indignantly. He blinked after a second, scrunching up his face and looking to the side thoughtfully. "Or wait, was it to the left...?"

"You don't travel left or right," snorted Zoro. "It's east and west." He narrowed his eyes as if thinking about it was making his head hurt. "I think."

"East and west is for country names, stupid," Luffy said easily without any bite. "Like... East Moracia and West Serin, you know? On pictures it's always up, down, right and left. Otherwise how would anyone draw it? You don't draw from west to east on paper!"

Blinking slightly, Zoro moved to scratch his chin, but winced at the pain that shot through his back. Instead, his limbs settled neatly at his side, and he conceded to Luffy's logic. "I guess...that makes sense."

Luffy nodded decisively, proud of his skills. "Right. So we'll go..." He waved a dismissive hand, "...left or something when we leave. It can't be too hard."

"Hmm, I guess," Zoro murmured. His dark eyes slid out of focus as he began to drift off into sleep, but he quickly caught himself and jerked himself into wakefulness.

Dark eyes watched Zoro closely as he struggled against sleep. He didn't look very comfortable, with exhaustion clearly pulling at him and his head twisted so he could lie on his stomach. Guilt briefly pulsed through Luffy again, so when he frowned and spoke, his voice was a little more intense than usual. "What're you doing?"

"Nothing," grunted Zoro.

"Why don't you just go to sleep? You look really tired."

The bodyguard gave him a pointed stare. "I'm not falling for that again."

"Wh—" Luffy looked surprised, then almost hurt. He stared back, eyes dark and subdued, his voice softer than usual. "...I said I was sorry. Don't you believe me? I won't do it again. I'll stay right here, but you really _should _sleep or you won't get better."

Zoro shook his head. "I can't trust myself to go to sleep."

Luffy frowned, confused by the answer. "Can't trust _yourself? _ Why not?"

"I'm your bodyguard," Zoro stated simply.

"But we're in a perfectly safe building, Kaya knows about us, so she'll make sure we're ok, and no one even knows we're here," Luffy said, perplexed. "If it's not safe to sleep _now, _when will it ever be?"

Zoro watched Luffy carefully for a moment before a frown pulled at his face. As easy as it had been to blame Luffy's lack of common sense on the food crisis earlier, Zoro knew that it was ultimately his own responsibility. That didn't change even if Luffy knew a few extra details. "I've slept long enough," he grumbled.

Luffy rolled his eyes. "That's not true... You're just afraid I'll leave."

Looking quite determined, he stood and walked the few steps to Zoro's bed, gently pushed him over just enough to squeeze on his side on the edge of the bed, and tangled Zoro's nearest hand in a loose section of his shirt. He was quick about it, the whole thing over within a few seconds. Giving Zoro a rather pointed look, he tried to get more comfortable in his awkward position. "_There. _Now you'll know if I go somewhere or someone tries to abduct me. So go to sleep."

Flushing at the sudden close proximity, Zoro shifted uncomfortably. "O-oi..."

Luffy stared at him determinedly for a moment before smiling in amusement. "Just go to sleep, Zoro," he said lightly, closing his eyes and putting an arm under his head for a pillow. "I won't even move an inch, I swear."

Blinking heavily, Zoro barely protested as he finally felt his eyes slide shut and his face nestled against the prince's shoulder. Within moments, he had slipped into darkness and was enveloped in a warm blanket of sleep.

Smile quirking to himself, Luffy relaxed and tried to fall asleep as well. His uninjured shoulder was off the bed, thankfully, but the position he had to be in to avoid touching Zoro's back was rather uncomfortable and he was still bruised from the fight earlier, making it difficult. Sighing softly, he focused on the warmth against his shoulder and the weight pulling on his shirt, and before long he was able to sleep as well.

Outside the window, Nami pushed herself from the wall and casually walked away. She smiled to herself, and she brushed a few strands of orange hair from her face. _A babied prince running away from a crazy prophecy, hm? _she thought to herself. Briefly pausing near the clinic, she made sure to slip into the afternoon crowd as easily as she could. The cogs in her sharp mind turned furiously, and the beginnings of a plan began to form.

She had suspected that following the pair would be beneficial, but had not realized how much until now.

"Those two have just made me rich, and they don't even know it yet," she murmured with a satisfied smile.

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_To be continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone!

Another inadvertently long wait between chapters, but we're still hoping to not have as much lag in the future. Here is chapter five of Breath... it's a little longer as an apology for the wait. We hope you enjoy and continue to read as we make our way through this story... And don't worry! We aren't stopping any time soon, even if we end up taking awhile between some chapters. We really wanted to thank everyone who has been reading this story – you have no idea how much your reviews help and make us happy! It's really for everyone who lets us know they're interested that we continue to post and don't just let this sit on our harddrives. So, thank you very much! And also thank you to Griever5 for betaing this chapter for us.

-Karaleyn and Quatrina

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Chapter Five – Breath

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The days seemed to drift by in a haze. For the most part, they were uneventful, filled with an endless cycle of meals and sleep. Zoro, for the most part, kept to himself, although he seemed peaceful in the company of the childlike prince.

Luffy spent the majority of his time in the room, feeling surprisingly content. Occasionally, he wanted to leave the clinic to look around, but he didn't feel comfortable risking it. Zoro had already been seriously injured once due to him; there was no reason to push it to a second.

He spent the energy he would have used in exploring on willing Zoro to get better, faster. When Zoro was asleep, Luffy sat by the bed and watched his bodyguard intently, sometimes for hours on end. When his mind wandered, he found himself thinking about the current situation, and what he could do to improve it.

Whoever was after him had already involved too many people back in Anchor. When they planted that bomb, they hurt everyone around him in the off chance that they would get the prince as well. For Luffy, that was an act of unforgivable cowardice, and he was determined to beat them the next time they met. If they were so intent on overthrowing the monarchy, they should beat the heir in a fair fight instead of sloppy assassination attempts while hiding behind a prophecy. As far as he knew, the prophecy only foresaw his death and the revolution of Merriana; it said nothing about this _improving _matters. There was no way, Luffy decided, that such weak people would be able to lead a country anyway. Regardless of what some ancient text said, or how those words were spreading across the country like wildfire, or even how many people would be after his life, Luffy knew that the best thing he could do for his country and family was continue to live as he saw fit, and do his best to get stronger so he could protect them all. And beat down some idiot opponents. That was always a plus.

The clinic had a courtyard, much to Luffy's enjoyment. Zoro went to sit outside sometimes and Luffy loved it when he did; that meant he got to sit in the sun and watch the funny little bugs crawling all over, listen to the music echoing from the open windows and laugh at the birds' antics. Luffy also liked watching the sky, especially when it turned blue like the sea. It reminded him of home, and days spent sneaking away from Coby to splash through the waves. Since Anchor was a seaside Palace, he used to stare out his window while dreaming of a life of adventure on the waves.

But now, they were heading inland, and the sea was nowhere to be found. Luffy couldn't even smell it on the breeze anymore, and that, more than anything, had the power to make him feel a little homesick. It helped to have someone to talk to like Zoro, who wasn't always the best conversationalist but served to mellow Luffy's energy, nonetheless. Now that he understood exactly _why _Zoro was so worried about him, and the lengths he was willing to go to keep him safe, he felt less rebellious and more content to just rest.

This particular evening, Zoro had walked out into the courtyard once again, his dark eyes watching the sun set over the building. Luffy was sitting beside him, perched on the round edge of a fountain with one hand supporting him behind his back and the other lightly tracing the wet end of a leaf along the stone. He was writing his name, or at least trying to. The leaf didn't make a very good quill, the water not very good ink. The stone wasn't exactly parchment paper either, so it was no wonder that he was largely failing at the task. His fingers on his supporting hand splashed into the water now and then, as he idly kicked his feet into the air. He was quiet, but he was content.

Zoro silently basked in both the setting sun and the secure company of the younger fellow. In fact, that's all he ever really found himself doing as he recovered from his injuries. Before, such constant companionship might have made him feel annoyed or irritated. However, Luffy's steady presence seemed to linger around him in an easy manner, as if he had been by the swordsman's side for years. Sometimes it unnerved Zoro a little, especially during those quiet nights when Luffy would watch him with dark eyes and an amused smile.

Luffy's eyebrows had furrowed down thoughtfully as he stared at his attempt at leaf penmanship. "Hey, Zoro," Luffy said suddenly, looking up. "Do you have a last name?"

"Yes," stated Zoro, his voice having recovered a lot of its strength over the past few days. "You don't remember?"

Luffy looked back down at his writing. "Roronoa?"

"Mm." He nodded. "I'm pretty infamous in some places."

"Oh," Luffy said, though there something in his spreading grin that did not bode well. "Did you know," he looked at Zoro with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "that if your first name had 'noa' on the end, you would be Roronoa Zoronoa?" He laughed, highly amused at the idea.

Zoro gave an odd look, an eyebrow quirking as the query was made. "No," he said after a moment, trying to keep a straight face. "I've never had to do that before."

"You should," Luffy said gravely, managing to look serious for a moment. The effect was rather spoiled by the amused glint of his eyes. "If you did, you could be infamous _and _sound like a fluffy little dog." He paused, cocking his head and considering Zoro. "Or maybe it sounds like a woman. Or maybe a stuffed animal. Or! Or, it could be a type of _food!" _

Zoro snorted. "Then maybe I'd better keep it the same," he said after a moment, his voice suddenly a little tired.

Luffy nodded. "Okay." He went back to drawing his name, adding casually, "But if you ever want me to call you Noakins, I can."

"The hell?" Zoro blurted before his face was carefully masked with a neutral expression. "That sounds pretty stupid," he said, looking away. "Don't ever call me that."

Luffy continued with his writing attempts, unfazed. "One time there was a lady who came to, umm, my home," he had learned not to say Anchor aloud, "and she had this little dog. And it just barked the _entire _time! She kept it in a purse and walked around with it. It was really funny!" He laughed, closing his eyes and moving his leaf-hand up to hold down his straw hat, as he tended to do when he was especially serious or happy. "I thought it was a little stuffed animal, but then it started barking at me and tried to jump out and I was laughing at it and Coby almost fell over from shock. And the lady kept talking to her dog... She put 'kins' on the end of everything. She called the dog 'Puffykins' and when she asked what my name was, she started calling me 'Luffykins.'"

Laughing again, Luffy penned designs onto the ledge as he spoke. "Ace was embarrassed when she called him 'Acekins,' even though he was really polite about it. I just laughed at her, but he got sort of red in the face, and told her that it was an honor to be spoken to so casually by a duchess." He grinned, glancing over at Zoro. "I bet if the lady met you, she'd call you Zorokins. Can you imagine it?" The idea of Zoro having to answer to such a name made him laugh again, enough that he dropped onto his back to relax against the fountain's edge.

Zoro gawked at both Luffy's fits of laughter and the insane story he had just relived aloud. "Luffykins?" he asked, unsure of what he had just heard. "Acekins?" A pause. "_Zorokins_?" Inwardly hoping that he never met this strange dog-lady, he shook his head, realizing that Luffy had spoken of Ace for the first time since they'd met. He was amazed that the boy was able to speak of the missing man so casually and happily, as if he were safe and close by. But it made the bodyguard strangely satisfied and happy to see Luffy in such a wonderful mood, as if he were drinking from the fountain of his very emotions.

"And," Luffy continued the story while snickering, "her name was Kinilla! Doesn't she sound like a big stupid sea monster from a book? Kinilla and Puffykins, yarr, they came for yer kin and left you with 'kins.'" He shook a lazy fist in the air, his voice dropping to a stereotypical pirate growl before he laughed.

An old man sweeping the floor from the other side of the courtyard paused momentarily to regard the laughing prince with an odd look before resuming his work. Zoro, on the hand, suddenly found Luffy's laughter contagious. Upon hearing the last comment, a snort erupted from his nose, and his own laughter filled the courtyard.

Hearing Zoro join in only made Luffy laugh even harder. Soon, what started as simple snickering grew steadily until there were tears leaking from his eyes and he kicked the air helplessly. His hands rested on his stomach, because it was beginning to hurt from the constant abuse.

The swordsman hunched forward in his seat, his broad shoulders shaking heavily. Tears of mirth sprang from his eyes, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so hard.

For several long moments, Luffy worked at toning the amusement down to chuckles, and from there to just breathing a little heavier with occasional bouts of snickering. He continued to grin, though, throwing one arm carelessly over his forehead, his other hand playing lightly with the water in the fountain. He stared up at the sky, and noticed that in even that short amount of time it had gotten darker as the sun continued to set. His grin slipped into a content smile, and he said softly, "Zoro?" though he didn't look away from the slowly forming stars.

"Mm?"

Luffy's smile widened as he stared at the sky and whispered, as if it were a dream that should not be spoken too loudly or he would risk waking up. "I like it here... Will we ever get to be like this again?"

Zoro stopped, his voice catching in his throat. He suddenly turned to face him, and his stunned, dark eyes flickered with uncertainty. Had Luffy really meant that? Quiet for a moment, figuring that he hadn't misheard, he took a deep breath. "I took an oath to stay by your side for as long as you need me."

Luffy grinned at the sky, turning his own dark eyes to regard Zoro. "Really?" he asked happily, a little louder. "_Great! _We can stay together forever then! You make everything more fun than it usually is."

Managing a soft grin, Zoro's gaze fell onto the ground. "Heh, that's good then, I guess."

"Yeah," Luffy readily agreed, flipping over onto his stomach. He was far more coordinated and adept at balancing than his personality would suggest, so he did not even once in the turn look like he was about to fall off his perch. He put his elbows on the fountain's edge, holding his head in his hands and kicking his feet idly into the air as he regarded Zoro with his familiar solemn dark gaze. For a moment, he was content to merely watch his friend.

Zoro felt his gaze piercing into him, and the swordsman was compelled to look up and meet his gaze. "Yeah..." And his voice fell quiet, caught up in his prince's intense stare.

Luffy continued to watch Zoro, kicking his feet back and forth, back and forth... "You know," he said conversationally after being quiet a few moments, "I bet your mom was really happy when you were born. And your dad, too."

Taken slightly aback by the change of subject, Zoro lightly averted his eyes. "I don't know. Maybe they were, maybe not. It's hard to say sometimes."

"No, they were," Luffy said confidently as he shook his head in his hands. He didn't stop watching Zoro. "Kaya says if I die then no one can replace me, even if my mom _could _have another kid. So it's the same with you! And they would _have _to be happy, wouldn't they? _I'd _be happy if I had a kid like you. So I bet they were, too." He smiled at Zoro, his feet still kicking.

"No one could replace you, no," said Zoro softly. "But some people were never supposed to be born."

Luffy raised his eyebrows. "Really? How do you know that? Am I one of them?"

"Probably not." Zoro stared up at the roaming, dark clouds in the sky. "People keep things they want, you know."

Luffy watched Zoro solemnly for several moments before cocking his head slightly. "Do you think my parents want me? Or maybe the people back home?"

"Of course you're wanted." The swordsman regarded the prince with a serious expression. "Why else would everyone be so eager to keep you safe?"

Luffy raised an eyebrow. "But they didn't keep me; they sent me away when they thought I was in danger. If I listened to you, I'd think everyone hated me back home."

"They sent you away in hopes of you returning later," answered Zoro carefully. "That's different from abandoning you."

"But how do you know your parents didn't do the same? Maybe they were afraid. Or maybe they thought something was going to happen to you. They could have sent you away so you could live... Isn't that sort of like it? What if they died and the only way to keep you safe was to send you away? Is that abandoning you?"

Zoro lightly tilted back in his chair, not really liking where the conversation was going. He spoke slowly, his tone holding caution. "...that was different. My parents gave me up to some nomadic tribe that's far away from here without even leaving a proper explanation."

Luffy frowned thoughtfully, looking a little confused. "Maybe they couldn't. What if you're secretly a prince from some other country that they needed to hide? Or maybe they were in danger and they wanted to protect you. And anyway, whatever they did with some tribe or whatever doesn't mean other people didn't want you around. I still say your parents must have loved you, because _I _like you, and you're not even my kid." He nodded slightly, as if to back up the finality of his conclusion.

The swordsman merely chuckled, shaking his head at how innocent and pure Luffy came across sometimes. "Sure."

Luffy frowned at Zoro; he was pretty sure he didn't believe him and was just pretending he did. But if Zoro wasn't listening to logic, he didn't know _how _to get his point across.

He watched him a moment, then grew bored with it. Pulling himself closer, he leaned his head against the side of Zoro's chair and idly watched the courtyard. One hand was folded beneath him to support his weight, and the other was resting on the chair for comfort. His arm brushed against Zoro's leg, and the softness of the fabric caught the edge of his attention while he stared at two squirrels fighting across a tree. Without thinking about it, he ran his fingers back and forth across an inch or two of his bodyguard's leg, the feel of the fabric beneath his fingers calming him. It didn't occur to him to give Zoro some sort of warning or explanation of his actions; he just wanted to be closer to his friend, hearing his breath closer like that was somehow calming, and it was warmer than it had been by the fountain.

Startled, Zoro suddenly looked down at Luffy. "H-hey..." But he didn't try to push his hand off, and he silently turned toward the setting sun once more.

Luffy looked up at Zoro as best he could from his position, blinking. "What?" he asked innocently, confused.

"Nothing," he answered, albeit a little stiffly.

Luffy smiled, his fingers slowing slightly but not stopping. The robe the clinic provided Zoro was amazingly soft; no _wonder _he still wore it around. "Okay," he said easily. He relaxed as he stared at the courtyard and the wind rustling the leaves. More bugs were coming out and it was starting to sound like night, when the darkness was a symphony of songs and sounds, and Luffy wondered what all the insects and animals were saying to each other.

Closing his eyes some, Zoro took in the same noises that Luffy was practically drinking in. He knew they would have a long, long way to go. But that was all right.

Luffy half-heartedly tried to look up at Zoro's face, but it was difficult at his angle from beside the chair, so he decided to just continue watching the courtyard and listening to the bugs. He still lightly rubbed the robe and considered asking if he could get one too.

A long silence lingered between them before the prince yawned hugely. He stretched as best he could in his position, then leaned against the chair and closed his eyes. It was fairly uncomfortable with his face half-pressed into the side of the chair and his arm at an awkward angle, but Luffy didn't seem to notice or care. He was tired enough that he was perfectly ready and willing to go to sleep right there.

Zoro was tempted to doze off himself, but he decided that it was important for him to stay alert and make sure he was safe. Without anyone interrupting his plans and the music of the night to lull him, Luffy was asleep in seconds.

It didn't take too long for pesky bugs to start buzzing around Zoro's ear, and the swordsman was beginning to grow irritated. Deciding that it was about time to go inside, he gently leaned forward and scooped Luffy into his arms. His eyebrow gently twitched as a sort of half wince, and the green-haired man slowly rose from his seat, the prince cradled in his strong arms. Robe flowing behind him, Zoro went inside and easily made his way back to Luffy's bedroom.

Luffy contentedly snuggled closer to the warmth, not waking from sleep or realizing that he was being transported. Gently lowering him onto the bed, Zoro tucked him in beneath the heavy blankets. He stepped back, watching Luffy for a moment, before his gaze made its way over to the window.

At first, Luffy snuggled more into bed, but then he noticed the absence of warmth and weight. He frowned sulkily in his sleep and flopped over to his side, his arms splayed out before him as he made a soft noise of pouting protest.

By the time the swordsman looked over at the prince, Luffy was scowling in his sleep, and he threw himself onto his back abruptly, arms flopping out spread eagle above him as his legs started to get caught in the sheets. He mumbled something to himself, eyes still closed in semi-restless sleep.

Zoro gently eased himself onto the bed, warily watching the boy. Sensing the increase in pressure on the bed, Luffy immediately threw himself in that direction, saying louder in a whine, "Zorooo! Meeeat!" But, soon, his body relaxed again and he settled comfortably onto the sheets, a soft snore emitting from his throat. Lulled by the sound of the prince's quiet snores coupled with the chirping of the outside bugs, it didn't take long for Zoro's eyelids to grow heavy, and his pulse slowed to a nice, even rate.

The curtain rustled in the light wind, and the room was quiet save for the breathing and, in Luffy's case, snoring, of its occupants.

* * *

The sound of glass shattering from what seemed to be the other side of the clinic startled Zoro into wakefulness.

A scream tore through the air, and Zoro suddenly sat up, reaching for his swords. _What now?_ As soon as he thought the question, their window was smashed too, sending the curtains billowing into a frenzy and shards of glass onto the floor. "What--!"

Luffy jerked awake at the sudden sound; so quickly, in fact, that he smashed into the headboard and fell back on the mattress, rolling onto his side and holding his head. "Owww," he whined, still half-asleep.

Suddenly reached for Luffy's shoulder, Zoro's eyes widened as he saw a wall of smoke rise from the floor, the edges of flames beginning to devour the curtains of the bed. Luffy, in his half-asleep state, smelled the smoke and immediately thought of—

"_Meat?" _He straightened up, his eyes flying open as he prepared to throw himself off the bed to rush for the perceived food.

Zoro's strong arms suddenly wrapped around the boy, yanking him close. "Don't--" he hissed, his eyes darting about the room. They _really_ needed to get out of there. And fast.

Luffy stopped as soon as he felt resistance, waking up all the way. He rubbed at his eyes, yawning then choking and coughing when the smoke got caught in his lungs instead of fresh air. Squinting mildly watering eyes, he peered around the room curiously. "What's going on? Did someone forget to go outside before they lit the fireworks?"

Not wasting any time, Zoro pulled Luffy out of the bed and rushed him out of the room. "We have to get out of here _now_." He looked up and down the hallway in front of them, noticing flames engulfing the elegant curtains of the windows. The white table that rested in front of it was already burning to ash, and the portraits were charred beyond repair. He coughed, but he made sure that he stayed alert.

Stumbled along beside Zoro, Luffy coughed in the heavy smoke, one fist up by his mouth. He peered up and down the hallway, _really _starting to get confused. "What's happening? Did they find us?" His slow, still mildly sleepy speech suddenly sharpened as he straightened, accidentally inhaling more smoke. After his brief coughing fit to get this new smoke out of his lungs, he turned intently to Zoro. "Is Kaya okay? We need to make sure everyone's okay!"

Zoro gritted his teeth. That'd certainly be the noble thing to do, but it didn't take long to die of smoke inhalation. He grabbed Luffy by the shoulder, pulling him closer to the floor in order to reduce the smoke they took in. "...I dunno..." He cast his eyes about to see if anyone else was about. Noticing a group of patients being ushered past them by a few doctors, his eyes narrowed.

"You two need to get out of here!" cried a hysterical woman.

But Zoro didn't see Kaya.

"Is Kaya out?" Luffy yelled loudly, "_Where's Kaya?" _ His voice snagged on the last syllable and he found himself coughing again, but he refused to give up on someone who had been so helpful to him. Someone who was a friend.

"She's helping with other patients!" cried a doctor.

Zoro's eyes narrowed. It was going to be difficult to find her. He turned to Luffy. "If you go outside, I'll look for her."

Luffy scowled, looking ready to argue his point relentlessly, but he stopped himself. What would Kaya say if, after all that work she went through to protect his identity and life, he got himself killed trying to save her from a fire? Even so, he couldn't help trying. "I want to help," he said firmly.

Zoro knew he couldn't have Luffy die from smoke inhalation. "It's safer outside. Just stick close to one of the doctors."

Luffy stared intently for a moment, his expression set belligerently. But Zoro's own stare was just as strong, and, in this case, slightly more determined. Frowning, he looked away and nodded, crawling after the nearest batch of patients escaping. He knew he could trust Zoro to protect Kaya and himself well enough to get out of the building, so he had to let them trust in Luffy to get himself out as well. Like they said, he was the only heir. Just before he disappeared from view, though, he smiled at Zoro and called, "See you outside!"

Zoro sighed. Now he new he _really_ needed to get out of this alive. He ran through the corridors, eyes roaming about, trying to peer through the smoke. "Kaya!" he called. "Kaya!" The last cry was hindered by coughing, but he continued onward anyway.

Luffy moved with the others, not looking over his shoulder again until he was outside, and that was only out of surprise when one of the bedroom doors collapsed in on itself and the roar of fire greedily lapped at the wood. The staff began pushing the patients urgently away from the danger of smoke or debris, while a small team of doctors had already gathered to the side to check everyone who had escaped. Nurses clustered around the area, checking on patients, talking to doctors, looking worriedly back at the clinic.

Coughing harshly, Luffy tried to get the burning sensation out of his throat then turned to watch with the others as the building burned. It was almost pretty, if he didn't know he had friends inside and it was going to burn down all the trees and bugs. Suddenly, Luffy had a heart-stopping moment when he thought he had lost his straw hat. He threw his hand up to his head, relieved beyond belief to find it still there, if a little covered in soot. Keeping his hand firmly on his hat, he continued to stare at the building intently as he waited for Zoro and Kaya to appear. A doctor came over to check on him, but Luffy ignored the man until, exasperated, he walked off to help other, needier patients first. Luffy didn't even notice when the crowd thinned slightly around him as everyone moved to help the patients now further away. He remained where he was, staring at the burning clinic.

* * *

No matter how hard the bodyguard looked, he saw no sign of Kaya, and he was beginning to grow worried. He certainly couldn't leave such a kind woman to go to her death. He almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the loud groans of beams giving way, the roofs of bedrooms sinking to their demise. Moments crawled, and he lightly crouched beneath the smoke, since crawling was too time consuming and wouldn't allow him to get a full view of his surroundings. "Kaya" he cried again, the roar of the flames almost drowning out his voice. He coughed as soon as he spoke, but he continued to call her name again.

But there wasn't even a trace of anyone, now that he thought about it. Although his vision was getting rather foggy...and his lungs were beginning to lag, struggling to get a decent breath of air in...

"Kaya..."

* * *

Luffy stared intently at the building, wondering what was taking so long. He was just about to yell for Zoro to hurry up when someone suddenly put a hand on his shoulder. Luffy jumped, completely startled, and was already whipping around to stare at the intruder when he realized the person was talking.

"—end at? Is everything alright?" Kaya was asking him, and Luffy stared at her, dumbfounded.

"_Kaya! _You got out!" he exclaimed happily, grinning hugely at her and pulling her into an abrupt hug. "I didn't see you! Did you come out the back? Where's Zoro?" He looked eagerly around for his bodyguard to tell him what a great job he had done.

Kaya, startled, was just beginning to hesitantly return the hug when Luffy pulled away to look for his bodyguard. Confused, she looked around too. "You mean he didn't come out with you?" she asked, growing concerned.

Luffy turned to her, confused now himself. "What? Didn't he come out with _you?" _

They stared at each other for a moment before Luffy realized what happened and Kaya realized something was gravely wrong. She brought her hands to her mouth immediately, gasping with wide eyes. "Oh no!" she said fearfully, and turned immediately to ask the other doctors if they had seen him. She had to see if he had made it out!

Luffy, meanwhile, was _certain _Zoro was not outside. And, before anyone could stop him, he shoved his straw hat at Kaya, saying quickly, "Protect this!", before he bolted back toward the clinic, shoving past the last group of people now milling just outside the area. He was already yelling Zoro's name loudly as he came crashing through the front door, ignoring the sickening wall of heat and charred green and black smoke rolling across the ceiling, crawling down the walls. Luffy darted around the obstacles in the hallway, in far too much of a hurry to even think of crouching as he ran. He drew in a deep breath, ignoring how the heat seared his throat and the smoke choked his words, and screamed, "_Zoro!_"

Amidst the roaring of the flames and the choking barriers of smoke that engulfed the room, Zoro couldn't even catch a hint of Luffy's screams. Having discovered a flight of stairs, he vaguely wondered if Kaya was up there. Gripping onto the unbearably hot rail, he stumbled upwards, placing one foot in front of the other. Vision almost completely gone, he knew that the girl had to be up those stairs. She wasn't anywhere else. So she _had_ to be up those stairs. He placed one foot in front of the other, and felt his knees begin to buckle, his brain becoming oxygen starved. ...Kaya was just up those stairs...so he had to keep going...because Luffy was outside waiting for them both...

Meanwhile, Luffy sprinted down the hallway, looking in each room as he passed. But most of the rooms were becoming nothing but concentrated flames. Afraid Zoro was in one of those and burning to death right now, Luffy stopped to pull his singed clothing over his face as well as he could, jumping swiftly in and out of the rooms as he went. He could hardly see and it was becoming harder to think clearly with the swirling in his vision and mind, but he refused to give up. Zoro was in there because of him! He had not even had the chance to fully recover from Luffy's last assassination attempt, and now he may not even make it out of this one alive.

Coughing violently, Luffy stumbled back into the hallway. The building screeched, and he instinctively crouched when part of a beam collapsed into roiling ash and fire behind him. He started to straighten but then he realized he could see and breathe a little better crouched down like that. He began running again, holding his shirt over his face while he breathed but pulling it away every time he screamed Zoro's name as loudly as he could. "Zoro! _Zoro! _Come back! _Zoro!"_

By now, he was rapidly running out of clinic to search and he still didn't see his bodyguard. Luffy was _certain _he would be there, though. If not this step, or the next, or the next, then _definitely _within the next few after that. He was on his fourth rendition of that thought when he suddenly came upon some stairs. He stumbled into them, but decided that maybe Zoro would be upstairs. If not, then he would look more carefully in the rooms he had already checked. He was stumbling up the stairs, having trouble as it grew hotter and harder to see, and tripped over something heavy partially up. With one hand trailing the wall to lead him and the other trying to hold the top of his shirt in front of his face, Luffy was too startled to catch himself and went crashing into the stairs. Though it was painful and the surrounding stairway groaned alarmingly at the movement, Luffy was _ecstatic _to realize it was Zoro who was the obstacle.

Excited, Luffy ripped the shirt away from his mouth and yelled over the fire, "Zoro! There you are! Come on! Let's go! Kaya was already outside—isn't that funny?" He was grinning widely despite the surroundings, lightly shaking Zoro's shoulder.

But the swordsman remained still, slumped against the rail, his hand still limply clutching onto it. Another beam fell at the top of the stairs, flaming embers flying every which way.

After a few more times of shaking Zoro, Luffy realized that this just wasn't going to work, and it was _Luffy's _turn to save _Zoro. _ Frowning, Luffy dropped his hands down to his shirt and ripped part of it away where it was already singed on the side and was easier to tear. Then he carefully tilted Zoro's head back and tied the cloth around his mouth and nose like a bandana. He hoped that made Zoro breathe easier and didn't suffocate him. Luffy decided he probably should just go really fast back out, then, to make sure it couldn't turn into something bad like it did every time he tried helping.

Moving around, he reached for Zoro's hand and tried to pull it off the railing so he could bring his friend with him out to safety. The swordsman's heavy weight fell against him, head lolling off to the side. Luffy would have fallen backwards down the stairs if Zoro's hand had not, even in unconsciousness, refused to let go of the rail. Accounting for the extra weight and getting a better stance, Luffy reached over to awkwardly pry at his fingers. It was slow going – Zoro was far stronger than Luffy was, and he appeared to be holding nothing back, even though he was not awake. Another beam fell at the bottom of the stairs, and Luffy's eyes burned furiously with the heat of the fire and smoke around them.

He started coughing, and had to muffle it in Zoro's shoulder when he realized he was breathing in more fumes each time he tried to recover. "Let go, Zoro," Luffy said impatiently, his voice somewhere near Zoro's ear as he continued to pull at his bodyguard's hand. "I'm here, ok? Just let go."

It took a little more prying, but once his fingers were free, Zoro's hand went completely limp. Despite his stance, Luffy still staggered, and found himself with Zoro's considerable dead weight to navigate down a creaking flight of stairs and out a burning building. The prospect did not really unnerve him, however. In his mind, he had already won. After all, he found Zoro, didn't he? He found him alive, and now they just had to get out so the doctors could look at him, and he would be fine.

Luffy started to drag him down the stairs, wishing he could avoid hurting Zoro's back, but the best he could do at the moment was hold Zoro under his arms and drag him down step by step. His legs flopped as they went, and Luffy tried to hold Zoro away from his body so his back wouldn't get pressed against him. It took him longer than he thought it would to get Zoro back to level ground, and he found himself coughing almost continually by that point after having to inhale so deeply to find the strength to move. He wavered for a moment as his vision began to stagger sideways, like he was tired, falling against the wall or something, and crashing into the ground and everything would turn black. But he was just standing still with Zoro in his arms, his legs still resting on the last step, and Luffy decided that he had just fooled his mind—his mind _thought _he fell over but he didn't, and so it was showing him what his vision would look like but really he could see fine. That's how he explained the dimming vision, anyway.

Looking back down at Zoro, Luffy started to drag him backwards down the hallway until he could get to a better place to reposition him. It was only his slow movement that saved them from being crushed by a sudden chunk of the wall crashing behind him. He could feel the heat billow against his back and more of his shirt burned away. His skin felt hot and tender and he wondered briefly if he would burst into flame if he kept wandering around inside. Luffy spared a glance behind himself, but the front door down the hallway seemed like forever away and he didn't want his skin to burn or Zoro to suffocate. So he looked at the rooms near him, and was pleased to see that one behind and to his left was not as full of fire as the others yet.

Dragging Zoro as quickly but carefully as he could into the room, Luffy kicked the door open and ignored it as it slammed open then back at him, causing him to stumble slightly. He dragged Zoro a bit into the room, looking around. Although the room had avoided most of the billows of flame from the rest of the building, some had still gotten in. The base of a lamp burned straight through and had tipped over sometime earlier, smashing out part of the window and littering glass across the floor. Frowning, Luffy took in a deep, searing breath, and hefted Zoro up until he got him roughly over his shoulder.

It was slower and a lot harder getting Zoro to the window like that, but at least Zoro was safe from the glass now. Some shards cut through the soles of his shoes, but Luffy paid no mind. He made it to the window, noting with relief that the room faced out of the building and not back into the courtyard, but there was still far too much glass in the frame to avoid cutting Zoro. So, shifting his dead weight to his other shoulder as best he could, Luffy reared back with his hand and punched the excess glass barehanded out of the window frame. Shards of glass splintered into his fingers but he kept hitting it out anyway, ignoring the blood, ignoring the pain and his rapidly dimming vision and how hard it was to breathe and how much it _hurt _to breathe...

Soon, enough glass was gone that Luffy didn't think Zoro would get hurt. He scraped away more of the shards on one side, then manhandled his bodyguard until he was able to get Zoro over the window, his legs dangling in the room and his head and arms dangling outside the clinic. An explosion of fire and heat rolled into the room suddenly from the hallway, throwing Luffy back a few steps from the shockwave, but Zoro was luckily unscathed.

If he didn't jump out first, the glass he just shoved out would hurt Zoro when he got him outside. So, Luffy pulled himself laboriously through the window, his hands collecting more fragments of glass to be imbedded deep within his bleeding palms, his knees now also getting scratched and cut, and finally his feet as he pulled them up and, bracing for impact, jumped out. He landed on the ground harder than he thought he would and was surprised to find himself falling to his hands and knees. The wind was almost knocked out of him, and for a few panicked, confused seconds, he couldn't seem to breathe correctly. But he could hear the clinic burning furiously behind him and Zoro still wasn't safe, so Luffy, again, ignored it. He forced himself to stand and, waiting first for his dizziness to pass, he ran back over and began pulling Zoro out as carefully as he could. He knew he was still going to be hurting Zoro but he couldn't help that. At least he was going to get him out alive!

Zoro's thighs cleared the window frame, then his knees, which suddenly bent to leave just the ends of his feet caught against the sill. Luffy held Zoro chest to chest, his arms under Zoro's arms and his hands touching Zoro's back as lightly as he could manage. He began to walk backwards, trying to get Zoro's feet out of the window. The building groaned and part of it collapsed in on itself, but Luffy didn't stop. Zoro's feet remained caught for a few more seconds before they gave so abruptly that Luffy overbalanced again and went slamming onto his back, his body breaking Zoro's fall. Winded, Luffy coughed violently and tried to catch his breath, his arms still protectively holding Zoro close. But even though they were out of the building, he knew they still weren't safe.

Slowly, he forced himself to stagger back to his feet. He couldn't let Zoro's poor feet drag on the ground still, so, once again, Luffy manhandled Zoro back up to hang over his shoulders. Most of Zoro's weight went on the almost healed shoulder that had been shot, the weight dredging up vestiges of pain and causing white dots to overcome Luffy's vision for a few heart-quickening moments. But he was stubborn enough that he was able to keep going. Zoro needed him. He couldn't let him get hurt anymore. He had to get him to the doctors.

Grunting, Luffy trudged with his heavy load back around to the front of the building, where he saw a mass of hysterical and worried people watching the building. Someone was screaming, asking if "they" were still inside, and as if to dramatically increase the tension, the clinic chose _that _moment to groan louder, shudder, and completely collapse on itself. The person screaming was louder, and there were so many voices overlapping each other that Luffy didn't even know who was talking anymore or what they were saying. He just kept walking toward the nearest group of doctors, his vision narrowed onto their singed white coats.

One of the doctors glanced over, and, shocked, started yelling for others to 'stop the search' while he and several of the other doctor ran toward the battered pair. Luffy watched them come then turned to look at the building. Or, what used to be the building. Now it was burning wreckage.

Luffy grinned down at Zoro just as the doctors swarmed around them, hurriedly asking questions and trying to see what they needed to do. The words were like so much white noise to Luffy, though, who found just enough concentration left inside to beam at his bodyguard. Even though Zoro probably couldn't hear him, he croaked, "See that, Zoro? We made it out!"

He paused, then laughed. The laughter soon became coughing that he could barely talk through. "I thought for _sure _we were gonna die!"

Coughing and unable to catch a proper breath, Luffy found himself sinking into unconsciousness even as the doctors rushed to save their lives.

* * *

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

_


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: Sooo… hi there! Remember me? I was one half of the evil duo who wrote this story, started to post it, and then abandoned it for years. To be honest, I think we both forgot about this entirely (sorry!) But recently I realized people are awesome and still reviewing now and then, and even more—still hoping for an update! Oh man, I felt so guilty!

So here's the deal—unfortunately I really don't think we're ever going to finish writing this. BUT, there's a ton more story we had written that we hadn't uploaded (as in, crazily close to 300 pages in the Word document). So I'm going to upload everything we had so you can at least read what was written. I've been meaning to do this for a few months but when I thought today I'd lost the story entirely I about had a heart attack and decided now was the time to move forward with this.

WARNING: this fic is NOT FINISHED. We did start to write a sequel of sorts that I'll also post but that's also not finished. Also warning: THIS IS NOT EDITED. I will not be editing it at all. So I apologize for any and all terrible wording or insane OOCness that will likely ensue. I also remember very little about what was written so honestly I have no idea if there are additional warnings that should be given.

Also, apparently we were delineating chapters as we edited back in the day, so I'm going to be completely randomly choosing breaking points between chapters as I upload. Sorry if any of this is super confusing.

Thank you for your extremely admirable patience, everyone. I'm so sorry we disappeared for years. Looking back, that was quite the evil cliffhanger we left it on too, huh? We never intended to start this and not finish posting. I can't apologize enough for that. I guess life got in the way.

I've spoken to Quatrina about posting this in the past and I don't think she cared, but if it turns out I was wrong everyone can just blame me. (And have answers to some of their burning questions in the meantime ^_~)

You all rock, and Happy (belated) Valentine's Day 2012!

-Karaleyn, Feb 14, 2012

* * *

Chapter Six

It was impossible to tell how long the darkness prevailed, overlapping every imaginable sense like a thick blanket. But it was comfortable, because no one had to worry about anything when it was dark - not fires, not missing nurses, nor assassins that lurk in the night. A security blanket. That's all it really was. Nothing dangerous. Just impenetrable, pitch black.

Until a golden glow seemed to seep into its wake, gently probing in an encouraging manner. _Wake up...wake up, _it said. _...we're ready for you to come back..._

But the blanket was so warm, comfortable and secure. He didn't _want_ to come back. But the light only seemed to increase in strength, and its voice - which was apparently female - only became clearer. "Please...wake up..."

Roronoa Zoro suddenly snorted awake, his eyes flying open. "-mmnff, Luffy-!" he choked, abruptly sitting up.

Kaya's warm, brown eyes startled, but she managed a soft smile. "Hello, Zoro-san." Suddenly becoming nervous, she reached out and settled him back onto what seemed to be some sort of makeshift cot. "...um...please lie down..."

"Where's Luffy?" the swordsman demanded, the strength he had recovered within the past few days having almost disappeared.

"He's going to be alright," Kaya said comfortingly, keeping her hands lightly on Zoro's shoulders to keep him down just in case. "He's sleeping across the tent. I can move him closer if you like, Zoro-san."

"Yes!" exclaimed Zoro before he forced himself to calm down upon seeing Kaya's frightened expression. "Yes...move him closer..."

"Alright, Zoro-san," Kaya answered, moving away from him slowly. She paused, glancing back at him before she got too far. She hesitated, then added, "Luffy-sama just got back from the doctors within the hour. He... will be fine. He just needs some time to recover." Before Zoro could respond, she moved out of sight and wheeled Luffy's cot close enough for Zoro to see and touch him. She stood back and, smiling sadly while ducking her head slightly, murmured, "Just call for me if you need me." She stepped back out of the tent to give Zoro some privacy.

Luffy was peacefully asleep, his mouth wide open as he snored loudly. His face was pale red, though, and he appeared to be heavily bandaged from his shoulders and down. A sheet was pulled up to his ribs, so his lower body could not be seen, but his arms rested on top of the covers, one thrown carelessly above his head. His hands seemed to be the most heavily bandaged of all, and despite this, there was still the tint of blood showing through the white cloth. Though he sported small cuts across what could be seen of his skin, and he looked to be lightly sunburned across his face, he seemed relatively content while he slept.

..._What_?

Zoro didn't understand why Luffy was in such a state! He was supposed to have been _away_ from the fire. Why was he bandaged and burned? And why were his _hands_ bleeding? Clenching his teeth, all he could do was stare and vow to kill the person who had caused Luffy to go back into the fire. He could imagine a doctor furiously persuading him to go back into that burning clinic to rescue both him and Kaya. Although the flawed logic in this assumption never crossed his mind.

Luffy, completely oblivious to the attention and confusion, snored on.

Zoro didn't understand why his memory from the fire was almost completely gone. He recalled searching for Kaya, calling her name, his efforts in vain. The heat of the fire, and the thick, deadly smoke were still engraved into his mind. The stairs, creaking and groaning beneath their unbearable weight, had been his way to finding Kaya. And he had begun to climb them. And then...and then...?

Luffy suddenly jerked his arm down sleepily, throwing it against the cot beside him. Normally, he would sleep on during this movement, but this time he yelped and jolted awake. Confused, he found himself sitting up in a tent, unable to move very comfortably because of all the bandages. He went to scratch his head but found it hard to move his fingers. He looked perplexedly down at his hands, the reason slowly coming back with his memory, when he suddenly yelled, his hands both going to his head and his startled, panicked eyes wide as he looked back and forth on either side of the cot. "AHHH! HAT! Where's my hat? WHERE'S MY ADVENTURE HAT?"

For all his screaming, he managed to miss that it was lying at the foot of his cot, having fallen off when Kaya moved the bed.

Without even flinching, the bodyguard leaned from his cot, snatched the hat from the ground and smashed it onto Luffy's head. "Rise and shine," he said blandly, and he inwardly wished that someone would fill him in.

Luffy, feeling the familiar weight of his hat and Zoro's hand, stopped panicking immediately. He brought his hands up to feel the hat as best he could through the bandages, then turned to look at Zoro with a huge, happy grin. "_Zoro! _You're alright! I _knew _you'd be alright if I just got you out!"

Zoro grinned lightly. "Of _course_ I'm all right, you-" But he stopped, and the expression on his face and the tone in his voice completely changed. "...what?"

Luffy, oblivious to the mood change, continued to grin hugely with his eyes closed merrily. "If I got you out! I knew you'd be fine, and look! You are!" He blinked his eyes open and regarded Zoro curiously. "Does your back hurt more? I tried not to hurt it but I'm not sure if I did okay..."

"Luffy," Zoro said, trying to laugh it off. "What are you talking about?"

"Your back?" Luffy said, cocking his head. "Don't you remember that they hurt your back and then it was healing and you were feeling better? I had to drag you around some so I had to touch your back but I hope it's okay!" He smiled happily. "It _must _be if you sat up okay, right?" He laughed softly, sounding like 'Hee hee hee!'

"You got me out of the fire?" asked Zoro. "By yourself?"

"Yep!" Luffy agreed cheerfully, one hand holding his Adventure Hat firmly on his head while he grinned widely at Zoro. "It took awhile but I did it! You're heavier than you look, you know?" He did the laugh again, still smiling so wide that his eyes were closed and his scar was like a second miniature smile on his face.

"Why?" he sputtered. "I thought I told you to wait outside? Who made you go back inside?"

At this, Luffy looked fairly solemn for a moment. "Oh! Yes, you _did _tell me to wait outside. I'm sorry that I didn't." He bowed his head slightly, formally. He looked back up at Zoro, smiling slightly again. "But Kaya was already outside and we didn't know it, so I _had _to go back in to tell you. But then you didn't hear me so I kept going until I found you, and then you were asleep so you didn't hear. So I brought you out and here we are." He grinned.

Zoro's eyes were wide, and it seemed like the very pupils of his eyes had been reduced to mere pinpoints. "Kaya was...and _I_ was..." But, no. That wasn't supposed to be how it was! The prince wasn't supposed to be injured on the account of the bodyguard. Because it was the bodyguards job to kill whoever injured the prince!

"Yeah," Luffy answered, laughing. "Isn't it _funny? _ We almost _died_ and Kaya was outside the whole time! But it's okay because we're fine and I bet I got all _sorts _of stitches on my hands from the glass!" He made it sound like it was a _good _thing. He paused, then added, "I'm sorry I made you go in and get Kaya. You wouldn't have gotten sick and fallen asleep if I hadn't." He tilted his head down again slightly.

"O-oi, don't _you_ feel bad about this whole mess," stated Zoro firmly, managing to regain his voice for a moment.

Luffy looked up and smiled at him cheerfully. "I don't, too much. Think of the _adventure _we just had, Zoro! That building looked like it was going to fall down all around us! I thought for _sure _we were gonna die before we made it out... And I got to drag you everywhere and get you out the window and—and, see? I can help you too, right?"

The bodyguard merely turned away, falling onto his side, and stared at the tent door. "...Mm."

Luffy noted Zoro's less than enthusiastic answer, but he thought maybe he was just tired. "Are you going to sleep, Zoro?" he asked curiously, then added after a moment, far more enthusiastic, "I can tell you a story if you want! Mom used to tell me stories sometimes when I couldn't sleep..."

"Do what you like," he said simply, almost distant.

Luffy, hearing the tone, paused in his merriment. He blinked, looking solemn quite suddenly, and stared intently at Zoro. "...Are you mad?" he asked, somewhere between curiosity and feeling hurt.

"Don't worry," said Zoro, his voice a bit softer. "I'm not mad at you."

"Oh," Luffy said after a second, and after another pause added, "But Kaya didn't know we were looking for her so it's not _her _fault either..."

"I'm not mad at Kaya either," replied Zoro patiently. A strained pause. "...thank you for saving me."

Luffy was quiet, then shifted on his bedding and swung his legs over the side of the cot. "Can I come over?" he asked, as if Zoro wasn't an arm's length away.

"You may do what ever you like, my prince," was the blank reply.

Luffy frowned at the answer, and remained where he was. He kept his bandaged hands against the edge of the cot, his arms straight and supporting his weight. After a few moments of silence, he shifted and laid back down on his bed, curling up on his side facing away from Zoro. "...Good night, Zoro," he said, slightly muffled into his pillow. He paused, then added, "I'm really glad you're okay. I bet you didn't even need my help but I wanted to give it anyway."

_That isn't true_, is what Zoro wanted to say. But the words wouldn't come. Instead, he feigned a deep slumber.

It was easiest that way.

At Zoro's silence, Luffy sighed and settled deeper into his cot. Allll that work, the struggle to get Zoro to trust him again, and now he probably _never _would again. Luffy bet he was mad that he broke his promise again. But Zoro kept asking him to make promises that didn't work! And now Zoro was mad at _something _and Luffy felt like the fire stole part of their friendship.

He closed his eyes, but he knew sleep would be a long time coming. Not only because of his thoughts, but because his body was severely aching, and his hands felt like they were on fire. He scrunched up his face and waited for morning to fully come.

It seemed to take an eternity and a half, but morning eventually did come. As the lantern died, the sun's newborn rays flittered through the tent door and stroked Luffy's face, warm and soothing.

Luffy closed his eyes firmly for a moment, then squinted them open to peer at the light. He got his wish, but _just _as he was starting to fall asleep. He stayed still, listening for sounds from Zoro to see if he was awake, or even there.

There was a figure standing before him.

Luffy jumped, startled at the suddenness, and peered up at the person curiously.

Zoro stood before him, dressed in unfamiliar robes that various townspeople could be seen wearing. In his arms rested some sort of bundle. "Morning," he said gruffly. "I've got everything prepared for us today."

"Oh," Luffy answered, blinking. He looked down at the bundle. "For... what? Are we leaving?"

"Yes." He extended the mysterious bundle to him. "These are your clothes."

"Oh," Luffy said and, sitting up, took the bundle from his bodyguard. He looked down at it for a second, then started to open it. Not looking up from staring at his bandaged hands messily opening the package, he asked, "Are we walking?"

"For now," was his reply. "The barn caught fire because of the clinic. All the horses have either died or have run away." A pause. "We'll get another horse later." He turned away. "You should change. I'll get our supplies together." And with that, he disappeared out of the tent.

Luffy sighed as soon as Zoro disappeared and, feeling mildly irritable, pulled the clothes out of the bundle. They looked similar to what Zoro was just wearing, but there were differences to tell them apart. Standing slowly, Luffy began to pull the robes on. When he was ready, he pushed his way out of the tent, Adventure Hat shielding his eyes from the sun, with the hat itself covered by the head garb, and glanced around for his companion.

The air smelled strongly of smoke and burning embers. A small sea of tents was scattered through out the town, and the people were a bit slower moving today than the morning before. Fortunately, no one from the market could recognize the boy in his new clothes unless they paid extra mind to the scar on his face.

Walking out into the dispirited crowd, Luffy looked up and down the tent encampment. He didn't see Zoro at first, so he wandered a little further, keeping the tent he came from in view. He didn't know what to do with his friend. He wished Zoro would stop being happy and then mad, happy and then mad. It was too complicated for Luffy to figure out. For him, you should be happy unless someone is hurting your friends, family, loved ones, beliefs, or hat. It was as simple as that.

Zoro soon emerged from the crowd, a large bag hanging from his shoulders and a walking staff in hand. He handed the staff to Luffy. "Here," he said. "You'll need it." The green-haired man threw a glance at the crowd around them. "It'd be best to leave without drawing any attention to ourselves." His dark eyes fell upon Luffy once more. "Kaya knows we're leaving. She said for me to tell you good-bye and that she hopes to see you again soon."

"Thanks, Zoro," Luffy said with a smile, looking around at the crowd. "I'm sure we'll see Kaya again," he replied in his typical confidence. He paused, then added, "So how do we leave without drawing attention? Just walk away?"

"Exactly," said Zoro. "We'll go now." And with that, he turned and began to slip through the crowd, his hand holding onto Luffy's arm to keep him close.

Luffy followed along with no resistance, looking idly left and right when something caught his eye but otherwise calmly accompanying Zoro. He used the staff a few times just to see how helpful it was, but found it a little hard to properly grip in his bandaged hands. He didn't want to tell that to Zoro, though, so he instead stayed quiet.

"You know I wasn't mad at you last night, right?" asked Zoro softly as they reached the end of the crowd and neared the town's outskirts.

"You seemed mad," was Luffy's answer as he watched the main part of the town fade away behind them. He turned back to Zoro, dark eyes intense. "Why were you mad if not at me?"

"...I didn't want to see you hurt," he replied simply. "If I had been a better bodyguard, I would have realized that Kaya wasn't there and that I needed to return to your side." Dark eyes squinting against the morning sun, he tried not to meet Luffy's burning stare. "...I appreciated what you did for me, though. I'm forever in your debt." He didn't speak of how his respect for his prince had increased ten fold within that evening, or how unheard of it really was for royalty to risk their lives for those who were beneath them. Nor did he confess just how much he had really wanted Luffy's company that night.

Luffy frowned, looking adorably confused. "Do 'good bodyguards' have X-ray Vision? Can they see the future or see what's happening across a burning building?" It was hard to tell if he was innocently asking the question or if he was trying to point something out to Zoro. He cocked his head, then suddenly grinned widely at Zoro. "In my debt? But the score is two to one. _I _still owe _you."_

Zoro didn't say anything, but he adjusted the pack on his back. His sleeves of his robe slipped down partially to reveal that the bandages on his arms were completely missing. "You don't owe me anything," he said at last.

Luffy looked curiously at the lack of bandages, but didn't know what to make of it, so he ignored it. "Then you don't owe me anything either," he said cheerfully back, grinning. "It's stupid to keep track—friends help friends, don't they? You _have _to help me, but I _want _to help _you._"

Zoro's face was flushed, although it was difficult to tell if it was from the heat of the morning or not. "L-Luffy," he sputtered, unsure of how to answer.

Luffy looked at him curiously, confused. "Yeah?" he asked innocently.

"Nothing," he said, quickly now. It was odd how the prince knew how to poke a hole into just about every single one of his defense mechanisms. But most of the time, to Zoro at least, it seemed to be a sweet surrender of sorts. Today, however, he felt painfully vulnerable. And he wasn't sure why. And that made him angry with himself.

Luffy looked at him oddly. Zoro was so weird sometimes. He kicked his feet up high as he walked, swinging the walking stick forward and backward, forward and backward, amusing himself with how the weight of it shifted down each time he swung it around. He didn't really pay attention to the reason behind it, though it was because his bandaged hands held less traction than normal. Cheerfully, he started to whistle and hum an upbeat tune to himself as they walked.

It didn't occur to either of them how they were going to navigate their way through that desert wasteland.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Luffy managed to remain quiet for almost four hours. He swung the staff around and was getting rather proud of some of the tricks he could do with it—though he had almost hit Zoro a few of those times. But now he was getting tired and the staff was starting to get used more for what it was initially intended: a walking stick.

Luffy peered again around him, the staff adding a muffled thump to his footsteps. It was hot! Really, really _hot, _even with the weird clothes he had to wear. He kept trying to find some shadows and water, but he didn't see any. After another eight minutes of silence, Luffy suddenly said plaintively, "Zoro? When can we _eat?" _

The swordsman stopped and regarded his prince with half open eyes. His face was glistening with sweat, even though the sun hadn't even reached its high-noon position yet. "Now, I guess," he said, shrugging lightly.

Immediately, Luffy perked up. He straightened, his eyes shining, and he almost dropped the staff when he jumped up and down. "_Really? __Now?_" This was better than he was hoping for!

"We can't eat all of our rations in one day, though," he warned.

Luffy stopped in mid air-punch, turning to stare at Zoro with huge puppy-dog eyes. "But—but I'm _hungry! _ How much is a ration? Is it this much?" He held his hands out in an approximation of the amount of food that an extremely well stocked seven-course meal may offer.

"Ah." Zoro stared at him warily. "No."

Luffy looked like he had just been kicked violently in the stomach. He stared at Zoro pleadingly. "Is it less?" then, before Zoro could answer, he added softer, pathetically, "A _lot _less...?"

The green-haired man gave a solemn nod. "A lot less."

Luffy's lip trembled. "...How much is it then?" He was staring at Zoro with the most pleading, hopeful expression.

He held out his hands, a small bowl's width.

Luffy stared at Zoro's hands. ...And stared, and leaned forward and peered even closer at the very, very, _very _tiny size of a ration. Luffy suddenly dropped onto his back, his arms spread out and his stomach growling loudly. "I'm gonna _DIE!"_

"No, you're not," stated Zoro, matter-of-fact.

"Yes, I _am_!" Luffy protested, staring up at his last look at the sky. It was so pretty. He wished he could see the sky again, but he knew that if he had to subsist on such a small amount of food, he would not make it through the night.

Lying on his back, his stomach growling massively, he felt the ground trembling slightly and pouted. His stomach was growling so much, it was making the _desert _move!

Zoro's eyes widened lightly as he looked down at the ground. "...what?"

"_See?" _Luffy said, gesturing down to his stomach weakly. "Can't we _please _have lots of rations today? I may make an earthquake if my stomach keeps growling like this!" The wind was beginning to pick up, trailing sand across his face as he tried to talk. He spit it out, deciding that the desert was mean right now.

Lying on the ground, he didn't notice the darkening of the horizon, though he _did _notice the increase in the shaking.

Suddenly looking towards the horizon, the swordsman's teeth clenched in apprehension. "What the-?" Something was coming. But _what_?

Luffy idly looked up at Zoro but was largely oblivious to his surroundings as he mumbled again and again, "Hungryyy... I'm so hungry..." to the tune of his growling stomach.

In the distance, two figures could now be seen. A gigantic banded gecko was running full tilt across the desert, in a direction that was disturbingly on line with Zoro and Luffy. Behind the banded gecko, a gill monster was running far faster than its heavy body usually would. Though usually opting for defenseless prey, the venomous gill monster had apparently decided on the banded gecko today. Behind the gill monster, however, was perhaps the largest worry for the two travelers: a sandstorm, a large one, and moving swiftly in a path parallel to but behind the running gecko and gill monster.

Zoro couldn't help but gawk at the sight, cursing his horrible luck. A curse tore from his throat, and his eyes bulged. Grabbing Luffy's hand - he was taking extra lengths to make sure he didn't lose him - he began to make a break for it. "Run!" He knew they couldn't escape the sandstorm, but he figured getting out of the banded gecko's way (not to mention the gill monster's) was more important.

Luffy was yanked to his feet with a yelped protest, stumbling into a run and just barely able to keep the walking stick. His head gear shifted and fell off at the abrupt movement, leaving his treasured hat free; it flew off his head, but was caught by the string around his neck. Stumbling behind Zoro, he started to ask what was going on when he thought to glance behind himself. Immediately upon seeing the running lizards, and somehow ignoring the sandstorm, Luffy realized the answer to all his prayers was right _there _in front of him!

"_MEAT!__"_ Luffy yelled, drooling already with eyes the size of saucers. He switched direction in mid-stride, attempting to sprint in the exact _opposite _direction Zoro was going, right toward the heart of danger.

The tense bodyguard only continued running, yanking Luffy off of his feet long enough to sling him over his shoulder. "Don't you even dare!" he hissed, puffing for breath. "You wanna die or something?"

Luffy cried out when he found himself unable to run toward that blessed meal dancing right in front of him. He stretched his arms as far as they would go in the direction of the lizards, crying out pathetically, "Meeeeat!"

The gecko, meanwhile, was definitely _not _having what he would refer to as a 'good day.' Food had been incredibly scarce the last month or so, and he was starving. So starving, in fact, he found himself staying awake into the morning despite his nocturnal nature, just so he could get some extra food before he died in his sleep. While searching for food, he discovered that the wind was nice that day—it kept snatching hiding insects out and flinging them into the air where he could devour them. In fact, the air was relatively full of insects. At first, the banded gecko was pleased. But soon, it became apparent that this was actually very, _very _bad. Looking up, he found himself the rather unhappy recipient of a face-full of whipping sand. Along with this face-full came the realization that he was about to be part of a sandstorm. A large, _violent _sandstorm.

Spooked, the gecko had begun running. And it was at this point that the _gill monster _appeared, seeing food running by and deciding that he too was far too hungry to pass this up. Of course, once the gill monster was in his slow pursuit of the delicious morsel, he discovered to his dismay that a sandstorm appeared to be chasing him. So he ran for his life, and he ran for his food. The gecko ran mostly for his life, and secondly for the chance to get food another day.

This was before he noticed the small morsels of food running away from the sandstorm, himself, and the gill monster. Two small creatures, or maybe one strangely deformed one, were sprinting far ahead of him. Licking his lips, the gecko only increased his pace, this time aiming for the food too.

Zoro was having a worse day than the gecko. Being chased by two _gigantic_ wild animals _and_ a sand storm was a much worse plight than anyone could have thought of. The large supply bag that rested upon his back was severely weighing him down and was putting his injured back through some serious, serious jabbing pain. Having to carry his prince over his shoulder for fear of losing him to the gecko, the gill monster or the sandstorm, was not helping. He knew he was going to have to ditch something if this kept up. And seeing that the idea of tossing Luffy was out of the question, he began to face the grim reality of having to drop their supplies.

Luffy, oblivious to Zoro's plight, leaned even harder toward the reptiles. "Zoro! Can't we stop and eat them? _Please?"_

The gecko sprinted even faster, ready to make a huge, running pounce on his morsels. Behind him, the gill monster, noticing how the sandstorm was far quicker than he initially thought, ran even faster. His poor legs could hardly handle it—he was _not _cut out for this sprinting stuff! But on the plus side, it was bringing him closer to his victim. He burst out more energy, his tongue flicking madly as he noted the gecko getting closer and closer. Jumping, he landed heavily on gecko's tail, already biting deep into the flesh with his venomous fangs. Poison seeped immediately out of the grooved teeth, causing the gecko to slow to a startled stagger. The two reptiles, preoccupied, did not notice the sandstorm veering slightly and bypassing them just far enough away that, while whipped violently with sand like burning glass, left them relatively untouched.

The veering pattern, however, brought it even closer to the prince and his running bodyguard. Though the reptiles were momentarily out of the picture, the sandstorm was definitely _not._

Gritting his teeth, Zoro increased his speed, determined to get them to safety. He could see the sandstorm approaching from the corner of his eye if he threw his head back a certain angle, and it didn't take him too long to deduce that he had enough time to make it to the outskirts of the raging storm. His grip on Luffy tightened, and he narrowed his eyes. Not long now.

A few, heart-pounding moments passed before Zoro knew it was time to hit the sand. Throwing Luffy onto the ground in front of him, he swiftly shrugged off their bulging supply pack and threw himself atop the prince in order to act as a shield.

Luffy hit the ground, an "Oof!" of surprise escaping just before Zoro threw himself on top of him. He started to try to crane his neck to see around Zoro's shoulder, but the wind increased and even if he could have seen through the sand flying around him, he would not have wanted to try. The sand, even this far from the storm, _hurt _as it came in contact. It was like someone was throwing little granules of glass at them at a high speed.

The main part of the sandstorm bypassed them, but the wind still tugged violently at their clothing and sand still pelted Zoro. His legs and back got the brunt of it, though his left side also shared the pain from the direction of the twirling winds. The sandstorm was past quickly, however, and most of the sand had not penetrated Zoro's civilian robes and boots; more than anything, the aftermath of the sand wounds was stinging and a dull ache from the heat of the air.

The swordsman's breathing was vaguely labored through the duration of the sandstorm, and he had gently pressed himself further against Luffy in an attempt to shield him. As the noise from the violent winds began to distance itself, the bodyguard's heavy breathing could be felt and heard against the prince's ear. He held back a wince from the beating his unbandaged wounds had received, but he was glad that he had clothes to save him from some of the sand. Although the main part of the storm passed, Zoro wasn't sure if he trusted the peculiar ways of the desert enough to ease himself off of Luffy.

Luffy remained lying on the ground, feeling the burning heat of the desert sand warming his back through his civilian clothes. Zoro was sort of heavy, but not so much that Luffy felt crushed. It was more like the heavy, comforting weight of Zoro's hand on his head than anything. After he was sure he didn't feel any wind, Luffy peeked one eye and then the other open. He had closed them to avoid getting stung by the sand, but he wished he hadn't. He could have seen a sandstorm up close! He had only _heard _of those so far! They didn't often reach the outskirts of the desert near Anchor, where it was dustier than anything and slowly full vegetation began to appear again until by the sea it was full of flowers and trees and bugs zipping around all hours of the day.

He could feel Zoro breathing above him, stomach to stomach, and could hear his ragged breath puffing his hair ticklingly around his ear. He looked around as best he could without moving his head much, but he couldn't see anything from his position other than the startlingly blue sky. Maybe there was still something coming after them. Must be, if Zoro wasn't getting them ready to run again. So Luffy lay still, relaxed between the warm sand and the shelter of his bodyguard, and waited for whatever next adventure would come his way. He was happy with waiting there. He liked it, and it amused him to feel his own breathing patterns in contrast to Zoro's, which was really easy with Zoro lying on top of him like this.

"Are you all right?" asked Zoro after a moment, his voice hoarse now. He had half expected Luffy to burst out with an exclamation about how interesting their recent plight had been, but the swordsman found himself unnerved at the still silence.

"Yep!" Luffy said cheerfully as soon as he was asked, tilting his head slightly to stare at the sky. "I really like how blue the sky is out here. Doesn't it look like the sea? Will we be on the sea anytime, Zoro? Are you okay too?"

"Yes, we'll be on the sea soon," stated Zoro. "And, yes, I'm fine." Except his back had an unpleasant combination of stinging and aching. But he chose not to mention that.

"Oh, great!" Luffy said with a huge grin, mostly referring to the sea. He was very glad Zoro was fine, but he was beginning to suspect that Zoro was always fine. He seemed to be able to live through _anything._

After a moment's pause, Luffy tilted his head to the side so it could rest gently against Zoro's face, where he remained puffing for breath. Luffy smiled softly, closing his eyes contentedly. "I like it here, Zoro," he said, less cheerfully but just as sincere as he stated a fact of life, "You're warm and just the right kind of heavy."

Zoro felt himself choke at the blunt comment. When he had said "I like it here," he had assumed the prince meant the desert. But that last statement almost brought a rosy color to his cheek. "Wh-what?" he sputtered, vaguely taken aback, although his face remained where it was upon feeling Luffy's head lean against it.

Luffy decided Zoro probably got some sand in his ears, so he said a little louder, "I like it here. You're warm and just the right kind of heavy." There. He was close to his ear. He should hear it that time.

"You..._like_ me being on top of you?" asked Zoro, a tad perplexed.

Luffy laughed merrily. "What are you, an idiot?" he asked happily, no venom in his words, "'Course I do! I just said it twice. But maybe you didn't hear the first time. Did you get sand in your ears? I didn't..." He paused, contemplative. "That must feel weird, huh?"

"No, I don't have sand in my ears!" stated Zoro swiftly, trying to erase all traces of misunderstandings that were in their conversation. He was just now beginning to realize how warm Luffy's body really was, and it was making him a tad uncomfortable. What was his prince getting at?

Luffy, though, was getting at nothing beyond what he had said. It was the truth, very much the truth, so he said it. It didn't occur to him that it may be an odd thing to say, or that it could make anyone uncomfortable. To him, it was on the same wavelength as mentioning how that clear blue sky made him think of the sea.

"Oh," Luffy said, in response to Zoro's lack of sand in his ears. "Good, 'cause I think that would feel weird." He made no move to get out from under Zoro, or to move his head from resting against the side of his face. To Luffy, this was as comfortable as being in his big bouncy bed back home, and he never liked getting out of _that _either.

Zoro's heart was still pounding, but he really wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because he'd never had to share space like this with someone before. Sharing a bed with Luffy had been a first, but at least he had been by the prince's side instead of...well, _on_ _top_ of him. "A-ah..."

Luffy yawned, then abruptly stretched as best he could in his position. If he stayed like that much longer, he would probably fall asleep, and then he wouldn't get any food! "Zoro?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yeah?" he managed after a moment.

Luffy dropped his head back, leaning it lightly against the side of Zoro's face while he asked softly, plaintively into his ear, "When do we get to _eat_?"

"When...would you like to eat?" he asked, startled to find his now soft, baritone voice husky with emotion.

Luffy either didn't notice the emotion or ignored it. "Soon, 'cause if we don't I'm gonna _die_," he said, not realizing how dramatic that sounded. He brought his arms out from under his bodyguard's weight, reaching around and lightly pulling on Zoro's lower back so their stomachs were pressed together even more. He was very careful, however, not to put too much pressure where Zoro was probably still really hurt. "Can't you feel my stomach rumbling?" There was no accusation in his voice, more curiosity than anything.

He had been startled to find that the prince had wrapped his arms around him. "Y-yes..." Then, he inwardly added, _All too well_. He wondered if Luffy could feel how hard his heart was beating, and the swordsman felt that _he_ was going to die from embarrassment.

Luffy remained oblivious, though. "Oh," he said in a vaguely cheerful voice, his suspicions confirmed. Zoro could, indeed, feel his stomach rumbling. So he knew how hungry he was. He let his arms rest where they were on Zoro's lower back, careful to be gentle about the pressure, while he waited for Zoro to roll off him so they could go get food. Or maybe they would take a nap first! But Luffy _really _wanted food, so he waited. Maybe there was still a danger somewhere. Luffy usually didn't realize the danger was there until after Zoro was already ready to protect or attack. It was probably like one of those times again right now. Besides, judging by how hard his heart was still pounding, Zoro was still trying to recover from running so much before.

Deciding it was better to just forget about the whole thing, Zoro eased himself up from the prince. As he did so, his arm reached out to feel around them for their supply pack.

The supply pack had rocked around in the sandstorm but had only tipped onto its side with nothing falling out. The contents had probably shifted greatly, but then, that likely already happened in the dash and mad dive to the ground.

As soon as Zoro's weight was off him, Luffy jumped up and stretched happily to the sky, his arms reaching out as far as they could go. He looked back the way they had come and noted the disheveled sand trench left over from the sandstorm. It was already largely filling up, but Luffy could get a vague idea of how wide the storm really had been. "Wow!" he said, impressed. He turned to Zoro and grinned happily. "You're really fast!"

"Hah!" Zoro grinned, sitting up and pulling the bag closer to him. "I could've gone twice as fast if I hadn't been weighed down."

Luffy's eyes widened, and he looked back at the trench, then back at Zoro again. His eyes had widened even more, and now they shined as well. "_REALLY?" _he asked, even more impressed now.

"At least," he added, knowing he was telling the truth.

Luffy gasped, enthralled like a child hearing about a fairytale creature for the first time. "_Amazing! _Can we have a race sometime?" he asked eagerly, dropping onto his knees and leaning toward Zoro hopefully. "I'm fast too but I bet you're _way _faster!"

Zoro smiled as he pulled out a couple of small boxes of food. "Sure," he said.

"WOOHOO!" Luffy yelled loudly, excited. He punched the air happily for good measure. "Zoro, you're the _best! _No one _ever _is as great as you!"

He appreciated the compliment as he presented the boxes to his prince. "Maybe," he said, his eyes falling upon the distant horizon. "But there's one other who's greater than me."

"_Really?" _Luffy asked, taking the boxes happily from Zoro. He looked at him wide-eyed. "Who? Do I know them?"

"Hawk Eyes Mihawk," he stated softly, his face taking on a grim appearance.

Luffy considered this as he ripped open his box of food and began digging voraciously in. "'awkai meeawk?" he asked through a mouthful of food, considering this even more seriously as he shoved more food into his mouth. He eyed Zoro as he ate, then swallowed his mouthful in one huge gulp. It was amazing he didn't choke. "How come he gets to be greater than you?" he asked curiously, confused.

Zoro paused, regarding Luffy sincerely for a moment. "He's the greatest swordsman in the world," he replied. "No one has ever been able to defeat him."

Luffy watched Zoro intently for a moment, not even taking another bite of his food despite the fact he still had some. He smiled abruptly, brilliantly, the expression far different than his usual cheerfully hyper grin. "Shanks told me once about him. I remember." His eyes got a slightly far-off look as he glanced to the side, the smile turning softer as he continued. "He also told me about the greatest pirate that ever lived. He lived on the sea... they called him the Pirate King, Gold Roger. He's dead now, but when he was alive..." Luffy's voice trailed off, reverence in his body language and voice.

He tilted his head to look at Zoro again, his eyes shining brighter than before. "I wanted to be a Pirate King like him," he said, softly, urgently, "and I told my parents I would be. I said I'd sail the seas until I was the King of the Oceans, and I could be just like Gold Roger was. But they told me it was a fairy tale, that Gold Roger never existed, and anyway, I had to be a King back here, on land."

His expression fell a little, but remained largely hopeful. "But I knew they were lying, and I knew someday I would get to be on the seas, and I could be just like Gold Roger. Even if I have to wait forever, I'll do it. I can be King here first if I have to, but after that, I'll be the _Pirate _King, not _Anchor's _king."

He stopped, considering. "...Gold Roger is really great, but he wasn't the only one who can be like he was. I bet Mihawk is the same. He may be great, Zoro, but you can be greater." There was no doubt in his voice whatsoever; nothing but belief, truth and conviction.

Zoro watched Luffy with mild interest as the prince excitedly told him of that legendary myth that even the bodyguard had been familiar with since childhood. He grinned lightly, finding himself not the least bit surprised that someone such as Luffy would want to aim for such a lofty goal. "You can be whatever you want to be," he responded, although he found it incredibly noble that the younger fellow was willing to take care of family obligations for the time being. "You could use your time here as a way to prepare yourself for the future." He paused, smiling softly at Luffy. "And don't worry about me. I intend to become greater than Mihawk someday."

Luffy tilted his head at Zoro, dark eyes intent. Suddenly, he dropped the box of food in his lap and slammed one fist into the palm of his other hand. "_Alright! _You be the greatest swordsman in the world, and I'll be the Pirate King, and we can have all _sorts _of adventures together!" He grinned widely, excited, one hand slipping up to hold down his treasured Adventure Hat.

"All right!" Zoro grinned, his eyes glistening in the sunlight. "You've got yourself a deal."

"Great!" Luffy replied, holding his fist forward while his other hand still held his hat down. "If you bang your fist against mine, we know the promise is sealed."

Zoro blinked. "Bang my _fist_...?" But he had learned not to question Luffy's odd ways, and he silently complied, curled fist abruptly pressing into Luffy's. Zoro had never admired pirates as a child, but he figured his prince wouldn't be such an evil pirate. _Live and let live, I guess._

Luffy grinned excitedly at Zoro, then pulled his arms down to his lap and dug back into his box of food. "_GREAT_!" he managed while eating voraciously again, "Now that we'll be the greatest in the world—" He held his now empty box out to Zoro and said with his typical huge grin, so wide that his eyes closed and his scar mirrored his happiness, "—Can I have seconds?"

Zoro sighed and nudged the second box towards him. He had been expecting that. "Sure, whatever," he answered. "But don't think you can have seconds every time." The swordsman just didn't want to have to put up with the prince's whining all day, that's all.

Luffy's grin actually managed to increase as he laughed like he had before, sounding like 'hee hee hee!' "Okay, Zoro!" he agreed cheerfully, snagging the second box and practically demolishingit as he ripped it apart to get at the food. "Do I get seconds _most _of the time?"

Zoro's eyebrow twitched. He didn't like having to give up his rations just so he could satisfy his prince's oversized belly. Even so, he gave a wary, "Maybe."

Luffy continued to grin widely. "Can I have even _more _if we kill that monster behind you?" He pointed over Zoro's shoulder to where, a ways away, the gill monster was just finishing eating the gecko (who had just experienced the _worst, _as well as the _last_, day of his life) and was settling down to digest the food in peace.

Zoro turned to look, giving an uninterested shrug. "I don't think those are really much for eating."

"Oh," Luffy sighed, disappointed. The gill monster, oblivious, let out a satisfied rumble as he settled down for awhile.

"I gave you a second box," Zoro stated. "What else do you want?"

"I'm just hungry," Luffy said pathetically, slouching. He looked down at his empty box, then frowned and eyed Zoro curiously. "I didn't see _you_ eat yet," he observed, confused.

"I'm not hungry," he lied, folding his arms over his chest.

Luffy looked shocked. _Not. Hungry__?_ Was that even humanly _possible?_ "Wow!" Luffy said after a moment, unable to get his brain to process anything other than the fact that someone in front of him was _Not. Hungry, _even after going as long without food—or longer, maybe!—than he had.

Zoro lightly averted his eyes under his prince's intense stare. "Mm."

"..._Wow!" _Luffy said again after a moment, looking shocked and impressed as he continued to stare at Zoro. "You're _amazing! _ I could _never _go without food that long! Are you _sure _you don't want food first?" He continued to watch Zoro as if he were an alien life form visiting the planet to watch the grass grow.

"You've already eaten both rations, haven't you?"

Luffy shrugged. "Then get out another one," he said simply, because life was like that. Simple.

Zoro shook his head. "We don't have enough supplies for that."

Luffy frowned, tilting his head. "Then lets get more!" he answered optimistically, smiling.

"We can't until we get to the next town."

"Then let's get to the next town or eat that big monster thing!" Another optimistic grin.

Zoro sighed, subtly stretching his back and wincing. "I'm different from you," he said simply. "I could go a month without eating if I had to."

At that, Luffy almost fell over from the almost physical shock. His jaw dropped and he stared at Zoro like he was some sort of strange creature. "A... a... a _MONTH?" _he spluttered, caught between being impressed and being too shocked to feel any emotions, "_How?"_

Zoro shrugged. "Don't eat?"

To Luffy, that concept was beyond his understanding. He had always had _plenty _of food provided for him at the palace, and even more food available out in Windmill at the marketplace. The idea of _not eating _for so long—it was _impossible!_

Luffy was completely dumbfounded, and realized he had no idea what to say to that.

So he said nothing, and just continued to stare incredulously at his bodyguard.

Shaking his head, Zoro gave an amused smile before looking back up towards the horizon. "We should probably continue soon."

"Okay," Luffy answered after a moment, but he may as well have been talking about something completely different. He still could _not _get over this concept of not eating...

The day proceeded as a normal hike would, and Zoro was glad to find that they weren't confronted by another sandstorm. Even so, the day seemed to last twice as long as it should have, and Zoro had to pay extra attention to make sure his mind didn't wander about what had transpired between himself and his prince. But he was oddly relieved when evening began to fall. As the somber colors of a dying day began to paint the sky, Zoro came to an abrupt halt.

"Let's set up camp."

Luffy, who had been looking around for other monsters to eat half of the time and was trying to create more tricks with his walking stick and bandaged hands the _other _half, looked over, a little startled by the abruptness. He almost ran into Zoro, in fact, but managed to stop just behind him. "Okay!" he agreed, seeing no reason not to. He looked around as if expecting a camp to pop up around them.

Silently, the swordsman placed their supply bag onto the ground. He opened it up, and began to withdraw the means needed to set up a tent.

Luffy watched, swinging his walking staff back and forth, baaack and foorth. "What're ya doin', Zoro?" he asked curiously.

"What's it look like?" he asked, setting to work. "I'm getting our shelter put up for the night."

"Oh," Luffy said. He dropped to the ground and leaned forward eagerly. "So this means we get to eat now, right?"

"Yeah," Zoro replied, driving in some stakes into the ground.

"Great!" Luffy exclaimed happily, and waited impatiently for the food to appear.

"The boxes are in the outside pouch of that pack." The bodyguard jerked a thumb towards it.

"Okay!" Luffy said happily, grinning, and reached immediately for the pack, digging into the designated pouch and pulling out four boxes. He set them on the ground carefully, then turned to beam at Zoro. "We get seconds this time!" he declared, though he expected Zoro to contradict him.

"All those boxes for you?" he asked, eyebrow twitching as soon as he saw the innocent-looking rations before Luffy.

Luffy blinked, perplexed. "No," he said, splitting the boxes into two groups. "This one's for me," he pointed to one pile, "and this one's for you." He pointed to the second. He looked back up at Zoro, confused that he had assumed anything differently.

"We're only supposed to eat one box per meal," stated Zoro simply, arms folding over his chest.

Luffy looked back down at the piles, then back up at Zoro with the most pleading, pathetic expression he knew. "...Are you sure?" he asked, soft and sad.

"You had two earlier. Don't tell me you want two _again_."

"But I'm _hungry!" _Luffy declared, though he sulkily put two boxes back in the pack and shoved the stupid thing away from him. He crossed his arms and looked away, pouting in the direction of the horizon. Stupid _rules! _

Zoro sighed and turned towards their half-made tent, completing it within a few minutes.

Luffy soon uncrossed his arms, though he continued to stare at the desert instead of their camp or his bodyguard. He leaned back on his arms, noticing as he placed his hands against the sand against him that they still hurt. They had, really, been hurting all day, but he ignored it until just now. He should have continued to ignore it, but he felt bored and focusing on the stinging kept his mind off the food he wanted so much that Zoro was not letting him eat in that stupid pack.

"You know," said Zoro, "if you eat the food all at once you'll just starve later." He stepped back from the now completed tent, inwardly satisfied with his handiwork.

It was a pale color, although it was relatively small. Even so, it held up even as it billowed against the desert wind. Zoro hoped another sandstorm wouldn't visit them anytime soon, however.

Luffy shrugged, watching the horizon. "We can always eat one of the monsters," he answered, as if that was obvious.

Zoro sighed. "Whatever."

Luffy remained quiet, still a little irritated that Zoro kept being so obsessed with the rules. Luffy was not very fond of rules—he liked breaking them more than he liked following them. So, watching the pretty red sun as it was in the last stages of its life for the day, he rocked his feet back and forth and idly noted that it was a _lot _colder with the sun going down like that.

Zoro himself usually wasn't a stickler when it came to rules, but even the most basic common sense usually dictated that eating all of your rations on the first day was a _bad_ _idea_. Snorting softly, he reached over for the bag and hauled it into their tent, disappearing behind the billowing flaps.

While Luffy stared at the horizon, he thought he saw something far in the distance, glinting against the last rays of the sun. Frowning in concentration, he narrowed his wide eyes, trying to get a better view. He couldn't see what it was, but something tugged in his mind and heart... like a part of him was telling him to go over there, to check it out.

He unconsciously leaned in that direction, and was just about to push himself to his feet and run to check it out when Zoro, moving within the tent, made a soft sound. It was enough to remind Luffy that he was not alone, and he was with someone who would probably get really pissed if he wandered off. Reluctantly pulling his gaze away from the place—for he was _sure _it was a place that he could visit and have fun at!—he turned to stare intently at the tent.

It was at that point that he found himself making a decision.

Despite his recent determination to not keep getting his bodyguard hurt and mad, he _knew _without a doubt that that night, he would be sneaking off to research this on his own. There was something about it that he _had _to see, and he knew he had to see it alone. He didn't feel any fear when he looked in that direction—it was like homecoming, if anything. And that, more than anything, sealed his desire to see it, and see it _alone._ He just had to somehow get away from Zoro in the dead of the night for a few minutes, just long enough to investigate...

And to do this, he had to make sure Zoro didn't suspect anything. So, when he realized he had been silent for awhile, he called out plaintively, "Zoro! Are we eating yet?"

"You can eat whenever," Zoro grunted from within the tent.

"Okay!" Luffy called back, reaching for the box and opening it eagerly. He eyed the tent, confused. "What're you _doing _in there?"

"Nothing." A pause. "Come in here if you want. This is your tent too."

Luffy began eating, looking again at the horizon. He couldn't see the shining place again, but he wasn't worried. He knew he would find it again at night. "Why?" he called out to Zoro between mouthfuls. "Isn't it boring in there?"

"Doesn't have to be."

"But you're not doing anything," Luffy protested, confused. Zoro was _so weird _sometimes! Finished with the box already, he pushed it to the side and crawled toward the tent, reaching for the flap and pulling it aside.

The large pack was propped away in the corner of the tent, and Zoro could be seen in the darkness, resting his head against the pack. He cracked open an eye, and regarded the younger fellow quietly. "You'll be able to eat all you want when we get to Shanks."

"Yep!" Luffy agreed, for lack of anything better to do. He wasn't really tired—he _really _wanted to go look at that place! But he wasn't sure how to get Zoro to sleep other than to go to sleep himself. So he looked around the tent, then laid down to the side of the flap, far enough away that he did not look like he was intending to sneak out or anything. He put one arm under his head and stared at the shadows, which were growing darker with the lack of light within the tent.

Zoro was vaguely surprised that Luffy hadn't curled up beside him. Figuring that he had made him angry somehow, he silently turned away from the boy and closed his eyes.

Luffy closed his eyes, letting his body wind down as his breathing started to even. He was becoming very relaxed, but was not asleep. He just _really _hoped Zoro didn't realize this—he tried his best to appear to fall asleep.

Silence seemed to reign in the tent, the sides flapping. Soft snores soon emitted from Zoro, strangely soothing in the night air.

Cautious, Luffy waited several more long moments to be sure Zoro was _really _asleep, peeking one eye partially open to peer at him as best he could in the darkness. He was sure to keep his breathing even and slow, just like he was still asleep.

But Zoro continued to snore, his strong arms propped against the back of his head.

Satisfied, Luffy very quietly rolled onto his side and, waiting a few more minutes, stood and as silently as he could, exited the tent. He was careful to listen intently for signs of Zoro awaking, watching him out of the corner of his eye as he spent the rest of his energy and concentration on being as completely silent and casual as he could.

The tent was very still even as Luffy exited, and the wind ruffled his hair as if to tell him he was free.

Feeling intensely relieved and strangely alive, Luffy grinned with abandon to himself once he was out in the cold night air. The extreme coldness of the night was as intense as the heat of the day, but it only served to make Luffy feel even happier. Ever since arriving in camp, he had felt restless, the feeling only intensifying when he saw that place in the distance. Now he knew that even if Zoro awoke, even if he came running after him and refused to be his bodyguard for the rest of his life—somehow, Luffy knew he would still refuse to give up on this distant place. It was as if he had no choice, but even more importantly, he didn't _want _one. Something was there, something he needed, and it was like an addiction. Having never felt this way before about anything, Luffy was defenseless. Something was calling to him, and he _had _to have it!

He padded silently away from the tent, waiting to go any faster until he was far enough away that running would not (hopefully) be detected by Zoro's keen ears. Soon he was jogging, and then he was running, and he felt free, absolutely _FREE. _

The wind blew chaotically through his hair, the brilliant stars twinkled just for him, the sand parted in short bursts beneath his feet, and his breath coming quickly in and out of his lungs was the only sound he could hear beside his pounding heart. He found himself laughing, not loud enough to echo but definitely above a whisper. He ran even faster, and faster still, until he was sprinting as far and fast as he could, until he was no longer the Crown Prince, or even Luffy—until he just _existed _and he was _alive _and _no one _was telling him what to do, what was best for him, telling him about responsibilities and belittling his dreams and stifling him in the name of his 'safety.' And through it all, he knew he was going in the right direction. His heart beat just for this moment, for this run, and for the destination he would find.

He didn't know how long he ran, how long he laughed freely and closed his eyes, how long he threw his arms to the sky and felt like he was racing across the world, ready to take off in a jump to fall up into the sky, to circle around the stars and stumble onto the moon. He just knew that it was forever, and it was the most alive he had ever felt, the freest and by far the most like _himself, _the himself he knew was deep inside.

And Luffy was running, and he was laughing, and suddenly he was stopping and dropping to the ground and rolling around and feeling... feeling... _vibrant._ Jubilant. _Happy. _As completely, honestly _happy _as he had ever been.

After awhile, he opened his eyes and blinked at the sky. It was so dark and beautiful—so far away and yet so close. He held his hand up, staring at the way his fingers splayed against that rich background. He felt like he could touch it, if only he reached far enough, if only he stretched his fingers just a_ little _more_..._

But, he amended as he pushed himself up, the sky was too far away right now. Not impossible to reach, not to Luffy. To him, anything was possible. It just depended on how much you wanted to believe as to how soon it would happen.

He looked around finally, and though he knew he was in the right place, at first he saw nothing in that deep black desert night. He stood, turning in circles, and just before he started to confusedly wander around in search for the elusive Place He Had Seen, he noticed a small glint in the pale moonlight.

Walking over toward it, he knelt down, surprised and yet somehow expecting to be confronted with a single small tree growing in the middle of the desert. At the end of the sapling, weighing it down considerably, hung a strange fruit. A perfectly round fruit, with weird little swirls around the sides. It had a small curly branch off its stem, and seemed to be a pale dark color as far as Luffy could tell.

He didn't see what had been glinting all those times, but he paid no heed to it. His eyes were caught on the fruit, and suddenly his stomach was rumbling viciously. He was hungry! And here was food for him! It seemed the perfect answer, and Luffy did not think to question the strangeness of the circumstances. He didn't think of traps, or worry about anything inconsequential as poison. He was hungry, and he had food. It was simple as that.

Reaching out to pluck the fruit, Luffy immediately devoured it. It didn't taste as good as he hoped it would, which was rather disappointing, but it filled him up a surprising amount. He dropped back onto the ground, grinning to himself as he put his arms around his stomach and patted it happily. It made sense to him that he had been so caught by what was food—after all, he had always had a sixth sense when it came to places food could be. Once, he found the secret stash the head cook had back in Anchor! He had eaten it all and fell asleep in the pantry, and when the kitchen staff found them they were caught between exasperation and amusement. Luffy decided it was just another one of those times.

But now he was full and if he stayed here, Zoro would know he wandered away. Luffy wasn't in the mood to have Zoro get mad again—it already seemed weird, like Zoro was being especially quiet for no reason. He didn't get why, but he didn't really know what to do about it so he just ignored it for now.

He stood back up, pulling his hat up from where it must have fallen back on the string during his sprint, and placed one hand firmly on top of his head. Smiling to himself, incredibly satisfied, Luffy turned back toward the tent he could see in the far distance and began running back. He slowed as he came closer, and switched to creeping around when he came right up on the tent. Pausing outside, he turned to squint through the night back where he had just been, but he could see nothing now. Maybe it was the fruit that was glinting all along?

Luffy lifted the flap and crept back inside, ready to curl back up where he had been when Zoro had first gone to sleep. Outside the tent, the wind blew a little stronger, shifting the sand and erasing the traces of his footsteps and, in the process, any evidence of his secret excursion.

It was hard to see Zoro's open eyes in the darkness, although it was downright impossible to notice with his back turned towards Luffy. Which meant that his scowl was just as hidden, and the angry glint in his face was masked. But he didn't say anything, nor did he stir. Zoro was tired of it, of Luffy running off every chance he got, of being used to clean up the messes the prince made. So he didn't waste his breath.

Luffy, oblivious, laid down and fell almost immediately asleep, feeling far more content than he had in a long while.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Dawn came bright and early, and a splash of sunlight abruptly stung Luffy's eyes.

"Get up. We're leaving."

Luffy started awake, half-asleep and fully believing that the night before had been a dream. He yawned and stretched, eyebrows furrowing down for a moment as he looked confusedly for Zoro. "Already?" he asked sleepily.

"We can wait, I guess." His figure was illuminated against the sunlight, and a stiff shrug could be seen. "You're the prince after all, right?"

Luffy blinked at the comment, feeling even more confused as his sleepy mind tried to figure out what was going on. "Yeah," he said through a yawn, "but I don't know anything about traveling."

"It doesn't matter," Zoro growled, turning away. "I'm going to get some fresh air." And with that, he disappeared from the tent.

Luffy frowned to himself, sleepily rubbing his eyes and flipping onto his stomach. "Zoro is so weird," he mumbled to himself, trying to convince himself that he _did _want to get up and walk out into that too-bright sunlight. He buried his face in his arms and yawned again.

The swordsman gruffly plopped onto the ground outside, staring out at the dawn. He couldn't trust someone who couldn't take care of themself -because that meant they were likely to get killed. Which meant that all promises made through that once close acquaintance were going to be broken. And Zoro hated it when promises were broken. But he knew it was important not to let his personal feelings get in the way. He'd just have to get the prince to that dreaded kingdom and then he could be done with it.

Luffy, meanwhile, was sleepily going over the last few minutes and it finally occurred to him that Zoro seemed even _more _cross this morning. Which meant he was mad. _Again._ Luffy sighed heavily and pushed himself up, stumbling to the flap and pushing it open as he shielded his squinting eyes with one hand. He looked around until he saw Zoro sitting down, and, yawning, he asked bluntly, "Why're you mad _now?"_

"Who said I was mad?" he asked evenly.

"Your tone did," Luffy answered calmly as he wandered over and plopped next to Zoro, peering in the general direction he was looking to see if maybe an enemy was coming or something and _that's _why he was so irritable.

Zoro didn't say anything, although he allowed himself to bow his head and run a hand through his green hair. _Get a grip_, he told himself. The bodyguard didn't understand why his emotions were so mixed.

Luffy continued to stare at the horizon, but he didn't see anything all that dangerous-looking. He actually saw nothing but the morning sky and the bright sand. So he turned to stare intently at Zoro instead, trying to figure out what was going on. He was pretty sure Zoro _was _mad, even though he seemed to want to pretend that he wasn't. But then, the more Luffy woke up, the more he wasn't sure if he had just imagined how distant Zoro had seemed, and if maybe Zoro was instead just tired or something. Confused, Luffy just continued to stare silently.

Giving a sudden, strained sigh, the swordsman realized that he couldn't _stay_ mad at the boy...

Luffy frowned, still intently regarding Zoro. After a moment of strained silence, he scooted forward and went to lean his head against his shoulder, asking softly as he stared at the horizon, "Why won't you tell me why you're mad? Do you hate me that much now?"

Stiffening as he rested his head on his shoulder, Zoro looked down, eyes narrowing. He could feel how heated Luffy's face was from the fire from the other day, and all animosity he had held seemed to melt away. This boy had almost died for him. Why did he still feel so defensive about his character?

Zoro was still not answering, and Luffy didn't know what that meant. It must mean he _did _hate him that much now. He didn't know _why _Zoro hated him that much, but apparently he did. Sighing, Luffy decided to leave it alone for now and maybe later he could understand what he had done wrong. For now, Zoro probably didn't want him to be near him, but he probably had to stay nearby so Zoro could see he wasn't getting into trouble. Tensing slightly, Luffy started to pull away, not really sure what he would do but thinking he would possibly go to the tent, where Zoro at least would not have to see him.

The swordsman's rough hand shot out and grabbed Luffy. "No...don't..."

Luffy stopped immediately when he felt the pressure and heard Zoro's voice. He turned curiously toward him, confused. "But you hate me now," he said innocently, stating a simple fact of life. "I can leave if you want. I know you have to stay around me because you're my bodyguard, but I can go in the tent and then you don't have to see me..." He pointed to the tent, as if Zoro did not know where it was.

"I didn't say I hated you," he quietly answered.

Luffy tilted his head. "Yeah, but you didn't say you didn't," he pointed out, regarding Zoro with a very confused expression.

"You've already asked me if I hated you, and I said no." His eyes burned lightly as he leaned closer towards Luffy, grimacing. "What else do you want from me?"

Luffy blinked at what he thought was a strange answer. "I don't want anything from you, Zoro," he said, confused. "I just want you to not be mad at me." He paused, then added as an afterthought. "I like it when you're happy and laugh, though, too."

A long silence followed. "Ah." He averted his eyes from Luffy. "Don't pay attention to what I do. I'm just frustrated."

Luffy furrowed his eyebrows at Zoro, confused. "But you're my friend and I don't ignore them. And anyway," he declared as he scooted closer to lie his head on Zoro's shoulder again, "if you're frustrated you should say why and then you won't be frustrated anymore." He smiled encouragingly, though it didn't occur to him that at the angle Zoro was at he may not be able to see it.

"I don't let many people touch me," Zoro stated.

"Oh," Luffy said, startled. He furrowed his eyebrows down, confused again. "...So you want me to stop touching you," he stated slowly as he tried to figure out what the problem was. He started to pull away again since he thought he now knew why Zoro was mad.

"No!" Zoro almost yelled it, startled himself at Luffy's rash conclusion. "That's not it!" To prove his point, he hastily pulled Luffy against himself.

Luffy blinked, even more startled now as he found himself held by Zoro. He blinked again, looked extremely confused, then put his arms around Zoro, resting his head against him. "Oh," he said, not sure what Zoro was getting at, but not being upset at their current position. "That's good," he said optimistically after a moment, grinning, "'Cause I'd probably forget not to touch you and then you'd get mad..." He trailed off, still not understanding what was happening.

The swordsman gritted his teeth, calling upon all of his willpower to keep from instinctively pushing the boy away. He was embarrassed at himself, that was for certain, but he didn't think it was worth compromising their friendship over. "...I don't let people get this close to me," he said after a moment with quite a bit of difficulty. "...so...it's only natural that I wouldn't be used to it."

Luffy could not remember when he had been so confused in his _life. _ Not even the time when he had been _sure_ he was sitting upstairs in his room and he woke up floating face up in the fountain out back with a severe wedgie and a vague memory of jello. "But," he said helplessly, not understanding at _all, _"if you're frustrated about it, why do you keep doing it?" Wouldn't Zoro want to push him away instead, if he was so frustrated by Luffy being close? This was so confusing...

"Because," Zoro gritted his teeth, and looked away. "...'cause I actually _like_ you, okay?"

"Oh," Luffy said, laughing delightedly. "Is that all?" he asked happily, the words not belittling in the least. He stopped laughing after a second, though, as something occurred to him. "Wait, but then that means you never liked anyone before?" he asked, confused.

"I'm..." Zoro paused, searching for the right word. "Selective."

"Oh, okay," Luffy said brightly, accepting this as an answer. He snuggled closer to Zoro, happy they didn't seem mad at each other anymore.

The swordsman took a sudden breath as Luffy pressed against him, but he didn't have the heart or desire to push him away. It was strangely secure to have him so close, and he wasn't entirely sure why. And this bothered him.

Luffy was totally content so close to Zoro, so he didn't make any effort to move back. Instead, he burrowed even further into Zoro and said after a moment, muffled, "Hey Zoro. We're friends, right?"

"...yeah," he answered, his voice gruff and hoarse. "...why?"

"Well," Luffy said thoughtfully, his voice still muffled, "I know we said I'd be the Pirate King and you'd be the greatest swordsman in the world, and we will be. But I was just wondering..." He pulled back a little so he could peer up hopefully at Zoro's face. "Do you think you'll still be my friend even after you bring me to Shanks and you don't _have _to be around me anymore?"

Zoro couldn't help but get sucked into his intense gaze, so wide and trusting - as if the swordsman could see right into the prince's soul. "...I would if you still want me."

Luffy looked mildly confused, though the intensity of his hopeful stare did not decrease. "Of _course_ I would! You're my friend and I like you, Zoro," he said, as if this explained it all, "I will _always _want you." He paused, then added a little hesitantly, "..Will you want _me?_"

He gave an awkward smile. "...sure."

Luffy grinned abruptly, hugely and brilliantly. "_Great!" _he said happily, hugging Zoro a little closer and burying his face back in his chest, "I'm glad!" he added, muffled once more.

"Uh..." Zoro shifted lightly, unsure of what to do. He wasn't an affectionate person by any means, but it seemed like Luffy could play the hugging game for them both. So, he did nothing and merely watched his prince with a vaguely amused look.

After a few moments, Luffy pulled back and grinned brilliantly at Zoro. "Are you still frustrated?" he asked, cheerful since he thought Zoro probably wasn't.

"Nah," he answered.

"Okay," Luffy said happily, the grin turning back to his usual extremely cheerful expression, his eyes closed merrily. "So that means we get to eat now, right_?" _ He was excited about eating. It was his favorite topic of conversation, and _definitely _one of his favorite things to do.

"Sure," Zoro said, arms dropping to his side suddenly. "Eat two boxes today if you want." He had forgotten to eat his ration from the other evening, but it was just as well. He'd eat one this morning and give the extra to Luffy in an attempt to keep him at bay.

"Nah," Luffy said as he pulled away completely, waving the thought away with one dismissive hand. "Only one each per meal," he recited cheerfully, turning to look eagerly for the pack. To be honest, he wasn't as hungry as he should have been. It was weird. Kind of like when in his dream he ate one fruit and then he felt really full. It was like he was still sort of full from that, except it had been a dream, so probably his mind was just confused like it had been back in the fire, telling him that he was falling when he really wasn't.

Zoro shook his head with an odd sort of look at the boy before returning to the tent to get some boxes from the pack.

Luffy waited for Zoro to appear again with the rations. He had jumped to his feet in the meantime and was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, swinging the walking staff arouuund and aroouuuunnnd after he had snatched it off the ground. He flipped it a few times, then went back to twirling it in large circles, stretching his arm farther and farther...

He was expecting to feel his muscles burn pleasantly at the strain.

He was _not _expecting the staff to slip enough for it to keep hitting the ground. Frowning, Luffy adjusted his grip and made sure it was tighter so he could swing it around and around and—_why _wouldn't it stop hitting the _ground?_

Perplexed, Luffy stopped and studied the walking stick intently.

Zoro exited the tent, holding a couple of boxes in his hand. "Here."

Luffy, distracted in the middle of one of the twirls, whipped around immediately, dropped the stick, and jumped toward Zoro, stretching for the food. "Yay!" he started to yell... That is, before he realized that his body was still mostly back by the stick, and his arms kept going...

He stared, thunderstruck, and for one long moment was beyond any coherent reaction.

The two boxes fell from Zoro's hands, landing onto the desert ground with the stirring of some miniature, dusty clouds. "What the-!" His eyes bulged, and his very jaw seemed to drop open. "Luffy?"

Luffy's jaw, in fact, dropped even more. Quite further than should be humanly possible. He looked up at Zoro with a completely shocked, _completely _panicked expression.

"YYAAAAAAA!" he screamed, his momentum snapping him forward to land stomach-first into the ground when he made no effort to stop himself. "ZORO!" he yelled, terrified, "Zoro! _WHAT HAPPENED? _ AM I DYING?"

The swordsman abruptly kneeled by his prince's side, pulling him into his arm. "Good question!" he hissed, his pupils becoming small. Unsure of what he needed to do, Zoro swiftly placed a hand over the boy's forehead, checked his pulse, examined his eyes. As a bodyguard, he had received basic first aid training, but he didn't remember anything like _this_ being a part of the curriculum.

Luffy appeared to be totally normal other than his completely panicked and terrified state. ...And the fact that his body seemed to stretch a _lot _more than it should.

"I DON'T WANNA DIE, ZORO!" Luffy wailed, clinging to his friend as tears streamed down his cheeks. While not generally a person prone to panicking or crying, Luffy was also not used to being confronted with something _terribly wrong _with his body itself, something that could very well be permanent or lethal and he _still had no idea how it happened. _ Because of his fear and squirming, however, he made a poor patient.

"Y-you're _not_ going to _die_!" growled Zoro, feeling rather awkward about being clung unto - and even more so upon seeing his prince panicked. "Will you just _calm down_ a second?"

"But—!" Luffy protested through huge teary eyes, trying to listen to Zoro but knowing better. "What about _this?" _he asked, reaching one arm back and throwing it forward, aimed away from Zoro. Whereas normally this would just result in a few sore muscles from the abrupt action, this time his arm kept going... his fist stretching almost to the tent before it came snapping back, throwing Luffy back slightly from the momentum.

He looked at Zoro, huge eyes pleading for an answer, and believing in Zoro enough to hold off on any further panicking for the moment.

"Did anything _weird_ happen to you before now?" asked Zoro, his eyes narrowed, voice somewhat even given the circumstances.

"I don't know!" Luffy half-wailed, half-protested. "I don't remember! I don't remember this happening _before_!" He returned to clinging onto Zoro, looking up at him pathetically.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, almost anxiously.

"No," Luffy said, sniffling. "It just feels weird." He paused, then looked intently at Zoro. "...Am I _really _not dying?"

"It doesn't seem like it," said the swordsman carefully. "And you really can't think of anything out of the ordinary that happened before now?"

"No!" Luffy protested, partially indignant but mostly confused. "We went to sleep and I had a weird dream and then I woke up and I was out here with you and I twirled the staff and then _this _happened!" He waved his arm as if to remind Zoro. His arm was a little wobblier than it usually would be when waving it, but otherwise looked normal.

"What kind of dream?" he pressed.

"I dreamt there was a place that wouldn't stop calling me so I snuck away and ran and ran and then found a tree and there was a weird fruit on it and I ate it and I wasn't hungry anymore and then I came back and I went to sleep," Luffy replied, slightly rushed because he didn't see what his dream had to do with anything.

"Luffy," replied Zoro, his eyebrow barely twitching. "That wasn't a dream. You really _did_ sneak out last night."

Luffy stopped, looking at Zoro oddly. "I _did? _So there really _was _that weird fruit out there? And the pretty stars and the glinting tree that wouldn't let me look away?"

"Which means you really _did_ eat some fruit, stupid." Zoro abruptly sighed, shaking his head. "I seriously didn't think it existed but..." He gestured to Luffy as if that would finish his sentence.

Luffy looked caught between being affronted that Zoro called him stupid, and being confused about what he was referring to. "Didn't think _what _existed? You _knew _about that weird fruit?"

"Devil's fruit," muttered Zoro grimly. "Gives whoever eats it strange powers." He surveyed Luffy in wary silence. "Looks like it made you rubber."

"...Oh," Luffy said, calming down as his eyebrows furrowed. He seemed rather at a loss for words.

"I hope you're happy. You could've been poisoned."

Luffy looked at Zoro oddly again. "Why would I be happy if I was poisoned?" he asked, confused.

"I'm saying you should be happy you _weren't_ poisoned." Zoro turned away suddenly. What would he have _done_ if Luffy had digested something lethal?

"Well," Luffy pointed out logically, leaning back on one hand as he eyed the other one curiously, "I _wasn't _poisoned, and anyway, I knew I wouldn't be." He paused, then added softly, almost as if in awe, "It felt too... right to be wrong."

"Huh." Zoro didn't have anything else to say.

Luffy was silent a moment, remaining serious and introspective. But it only lasted a moment before he suddenly smiled hugely up at Zoro. "So now I'm rubber? I bet I can do all _sorts _of things most people can't then, right? And... and I bet I can be stronger too, now! If I'm not going to die, right? Devil's Fruit doesn't _kill, _does it?" He didn't sound as concerned as he should on the last part.

"No, but," Zoro paused for a moment, as if in thought, "I think there's some sort of drawback to it. But, for the life of me, I don't remember what it is."

Luffy laughed merrily as he shrugged, totally unconcerned. "It doesn't matter! Now I'm rubber and I can do _this!" _ He demonstrated the throwing of his arm and snapping back of his fist again. He didn't bother catching himself before he was flung back onto his back in the sand from his own momentum. If anything, among the small billow of sand granules upon his abrupt drop, he only laughed harder and happier.

Zoro watched him in silence. At least someone was happy.

"Hey, Zoro!" Luffy laughed, "Maybe we can find a fruit for you, too! It could make you glue! And then," he had to stop for a moment as he laughed harder, then managed, "_then _I could say, 'I am rubber and you are glue; whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you'!" He rolled on the ground, kicking his sandal-clad feet as he laughed.

Snorting, Zoro rolled his eyes, settling onto his back as he opened up his box of rations. There was no use in getting upset over this fruit thing _now_. It was over and done with. He just hoped Luffy wouldn't wind up getting poisoned from eating some strange item later in their journey.

Luffy remained delightfully amused just until he heard the opening of the rations box. At this point, his amusement was sidelined by his ever-present (though still dulled this morning) hunger. Reaching eagerly toward Zoro (and, presumably, his own box), Luffy cried out simply, "FOOD!"

Zoro nudged Luffy's box over to the boy, a piece of bread sticking out of his own mouth.

Luffy laughed at the silly expression Zoro presented, food sticking out of his mouth like that, but he said nothing about it as he dug ecstatically into his food rations. He began shoveling the food rhythmically into his mouth, barely taking the time to chew before he swallowed. He was completely intent, and completely in love with his food, even if it _wasn't _the superbly presented meals he was used to back home.

The swordsman silently watched him, even after he finished eating. He tucked the box away, intending to stuff the trash into their pack so they could burn it when they made a campfire.

Luffy continued eating, and when he was done eating, he peered intently into the box and moved it around under the sun, scrutinizing it in hopes of finding some more food miraculously hidden that he could now devour quite happily. He was, however, very much failing to find any secret treasure trove of rations.

This amused Zoro to some degree - it was almost like watching a kitten play with a ball of yarn.

Luffy, oblivious to the attention and still quite intent on finding more food, turned the box upside down and began shaking it, crouching underneath to peer up at it even as he continued trying to shake out some reserves. When no food was readily accessible, he only shook harder as he pouted.

"I asked if you wanted two."

Luffy sulked, dropping the empty box to the sand beneath him. "No," he said, pouting, though by his tone it almost seemed as if Zoro were the one denying him the food and Luffy was just an innocent bystander victim to the crime of Underestimating Luffy's Appetite.

"No what?"

"No," Luffy clarified quite unhelpfully, and threw himself onto his back, where his arms flopped spread eagle to his sides and his legs splayed out haphazardly. He stared at the sky, trying to ignore his slightly rumbling stomach. He had thought he wasn't as hungry, but apparently he was...

"Why don't you try distracting yourself?" asked Zoro.

Luffy blinked, then flopped his head over to look at Zoro. "With what?" he asked curiously.

"Anything except food."

Luffy stared at Zoro blankly. "..Liiike...?"

"I-I dunno..."

Luffy considered this for a moment, then turned to stare back at the sky. "What do _you _think about other than food?" he asked, thinking maybe he could think about the same thing.

Zoro shrugged, casually naming off a list. "Sword fighting, getting to that kingdom, you, our stolen horse-"

Luffy turned to look at Zoro, a startled expression dominating his face. He stared at him for a moment, scrutinizing him before he suddenly burst out, upset, "I _forgot _about the horse!" as if this was the worst thing he could have done.

Zoro waved his hand. "Don't worry about it."

Luffy turned back to the sky, very perplexed. "I wonder where the horse is now..." He paused, then added with narrowed, jealous eyes, "Do you think he's _eating our food?" _

"No, he's not eating our food!" snapped Zoro, at a loss for what to do to get Luffy to quit obsessing so much. The boy was just a lost cause.

"...Okay," Luffy said grudgingly after a moment, then fell silent. It wasn't long before he turned back to Zoro, flipping onto his side and curling up so he could watch him curiously. "What do you think about when you think about me?" The others, he thought, were rather self-explanatory. This one was too, really, since he probably just thought about being a bodyguard, but Luffy needed examples to base this mythical Foodless Thought off of, so he decided to try to get Zoro to be specific.

Zoro shrugged, suddenly gaining an awkward look on his face. "Well, ah, you're different from what I was expecting."

Luffy grinned, utterly pleased. "Really?" he asked, as if Zoro had just given him the best compliment of his life. "What did you expect?"

"A snob, to be honest."

Luffy laughed delightedly at the bluntness of the answer. "Really?" he said again, grinning in deep amusement. "Why?"

"Because rich people can be real stupid," stated Zoro. "But if I had met you in different circumstances, I wouldn't have thought you to be a prince."

Luffy nodded sagely, considering this. "I'm not a good Prince," he said by way of answering, but he sounded neither proud nor upset at the declaration. It was as if he were stating a fact of life. He paused, watching Zoro with an even more intently curious expression. "Why were you going to be my bodyguard even if you thought I'd be stupid and you'd probably hate me?" He would have tilted his head were it not resting on the ground. "Why wouldn't you just say no?"

Zoro shrugged. "Needed the money."

Luffy considered this. He scratched his head. "I can give you lots of money back home if you want it," he offered, thinking maybe Zoro would rather do that than be a bodyguard.

"I don't need anyone's sympathy. Thanks anyway."

Luffy furrowed his eyebrows down. "But... why can't it be a gift?"

"I don't deserve a gift like that," he stated, casually allowing a hand to fall onto Luffy's head.

Luffy eyed his friend oddly, though he couldn't stop the small bit of happiness to shine through at the heavy hand in his hair. "Why not?" he asked, as always remaining stubborn even in his inquisitiveness.

"Just don't," he stated, his own face now possessing an off sort of fondness.

Luffy looked at him, then laughed. "Well, _I _think you do, and like you said before, I _am _the Prince. So I'm right and you're wrong!" He stuck his tongue out childishly, playfully, pulling it back in to laugh again.

"Heh. You can say that when I've actually done my job."

"But you already _have, _Zoro," Luffy protested, becoming more solemn again despite his previous laughter. "I'm still alive, right? I'd've died _lots _of times already if you weren't here. The bomb, and the bad men and, and, and at the market, and the fire... And then the monsters and the sandstorm... And I bet lots and lots of other places, too!" He trailed off, grinning at Zoro. "See?"

"Doesn't mean it can't go wrong later," stated Zoro. "And you saved my life at the fire, remember?" The last sentence was spoken almost off-handedly, as if the bodyguard was trying to keep the conversation light and casual. "It's supposed to be the other way around."

Luffy shrugged, not really caring to continue arguing this point. He still thought Zoro was wrong; why didn't he understand? "But friends don't keep track so I don't care," he declared, flopping onto his back to stare at the sky. "When'll you stop keeping track of stupid things like that? I helped you, you helped me, it happens."

Zoro paused for a moment before resting himself beside the prince, now upon his back as well. "I know that."

"Then you should stop worrying about it," Luffy said plainly, smiling up at the sky as he placed his arms beneath his head.

Honestly, Zoro was acting almost like Coby when he had been convinced that Luffy was going to get in trouble with his newest 'brilliant idea.' It was always 'Impossible! Impossible, impossible, impossible, Luffy-sama!' Zoro was not saying 'impossible' but he sure was bringing up the same point over and over and totally disregarding Luffy's logic.

At the thought of Zoro and Coby, Luffy imagined Zoro standing with his hair dyed pink, huge glasses nearly falling off his nose as he glared furiously over the rims. His three swords were replaced with a broom, a mop, and an official scroll in his mouth taken probably out of Coby's personal collection. He was wearing Coby's clothes but they were way too small for him, so he looked like some grown-up playing dress up with the wrong set of toddlers. The mental image was so vivid that Luffy found himself laughing, eyes closing in merriment. The image had come and gone in a short amount of time, so Luffy began to laugh soon after his words.

Zoro blinked, his eyes snapping over to the dark-haired boy. "What's so funny?" he asked, wondering if he had missed some sort of joke.

Luffy looked over at Zoro, and his expression became superimposed over the image of the Zoro-Coby hybrid. This just caused Luffy to laugh harder, his arms snapping out from behind his head to cover his stomach as he rolled onto his side, kicking his feet lightly.

"Zoro! Zoro... say 'impossible'!" he said between gasps, twisting to look up at his bodyguard to see if he would comply.

An incredulous eyebrow rose, and Zoro's mouth momentarily gaped open as he tried to grasp for a logical reason for Luffy to ask him to do such a thing. "You want me to say 'impossible?'"

Luffy started laughing a little harder, but he persisted, nodding even as tears began to gather at the edges of his eyes. "Yes! Impossible... Say it lots!"

"No!" Zoro was beginning to get the feeling that Luffy was laughing at _him_.

Luffy continued to laugh, now more amused at Zoro himself than Zoro As Coby. "No, no! Coby would _never _say no!" he laughed, bringing one hand away from his stomach to wave at Zoro. "Try again! 'Impossible! Impossible, impossible, impossible...'" he tried to do a good impression of Coby but he wasn't sure how good it was.

"Coby?" By now, Zoro was beginning to get a tad irritated. "Who's Coby?"

Luffy could see that Zoro was not going to play along, so he started trying to stop laughing. Too bad, that could have been great! Maybe he could get Zoro to say it another time... "My..." Luffy wiped at his eyes, the huge goofy grin still not leaving his face. "Uhh, I dunno what he is! He always follows me around and tells me how impossible everything is." He laughed lightly, shortly. "Maybe he was my bodyguard after Ace and before you!" He laughed again, amused at the idea. Coby would be a _horrible _bodyguard...

"Ah..." Zoro wasn't sure what Luffy was getting at, what with him trying to act like this Coby-fellow. "...He was the pink-haired kid who saw us off, then."

Luffy nodded with a huge smile, surprised and pleased that Zoro remembered. "Yeah! That was Coby," he answered cheerfully. "I've known him all my life."

"Hmm." Zoro turned onto his side, his back facing the prince. He knew they should probably start on their way soon, but he didn't quite feel like it. He had never been much of a morning person.

Luffy kicked his feet against the sand, taking in a deep breath and letting it out loudly and abruptly. He returned his arms behind his head, kicking, kicking, kicking... "Actually, Coby thinks I'm crazy," Luffy said thoughtfully as an afterthought. Hmm. "Isn't that funny? I wonder why..."

"Well, I don't think _crazy_ is the word," said Zoro after a moment.

"How 'bout 'incorrigible'?" Luffy supplied with a huge grin, adding proudly, "My mom called me that once!"

"Really?" Zoro paused, turning to regard the prince. "Incorrigible, huh?" He really wasn't sure what that meant, but it wasn't important enough to him to ask.

"Yeah!" Luffy answered, getting caught up in the memory. "And then the kitchen staff laughed and Mom blushed and Ace said 'Got _that _right' and rolled his eyes but he was grinning and then he ruffled my hair and I stuck my tongue out at him and he just laughed at me." He grinned for a moment, then blinked and sulked, "...And then I had to clean up the kitchen and watch the dog to make sure it didn't throw up again and I couldn't make any more birthday cakes without someone watching over me." He obviously thought that was an unfair punishment.

Zoro snorted, gathering most of the story from what Luffy had slipped. Even so, the swordsman's face grew vaguely serious. "Ace...he was your last bodyguard, wasn't he? I met him once." A pause. "Not long before he disappeared."

Luffy nodded, and when he smiled it was far more sincere than his usual grin. "He's the greatest! Except he always wins if we spar, but someday I'll beat him! And he laughs a lot and he's really smart and I'm trying to find him out here 'cause I think he's playing hide and seek."

"Hide and seek, huh?" Zoro paused for a moment, regarding the boy with a grim look. "I heard that he either was murdered or he betrayed your family. With the way things are looking, what with the political turmoil your country is in, it looks like it could be either."

Luffy's smile faded into a frown as he stared at the sky thoughtfully. He was quiet for several moments before he answered, in an uncharacteristically serious, dark tone. "Rumors always like to make the worst out of people, though, don't they? I bet rumors started by people you've beat say you're someone horrible, maybe even evil. Rumors say I'm completely stupid, not even fit to lead the kingdom. Rumors say my parents are dying and the country will destroy itself before I legally turn an adult. Rumors say Gold Roger was greedy and rumors say the sky will fall down." He tipped his head slightly toward Zoro, dark eyes intense and almost angry. "Do you believe everything you hear, Zoro?" he asked softly.

"Of course not," stated Zoro, lightly taken aback by Luffy's sudden change of mood. He opened his mouth to add something, but he found himself unable to come up with anything adequate enough for the situation. Finally, however, he spoke. "But you can't honestly believe your bodyguard left you to play hide and seek."

Luffy shrugged, turning back to look at the sky, but there was still the hint of a glare in his expression and the tenseness of his body. "I believe what I want to believe," he answered, his tone a little tight. "Whether or not he's playing hide and seek has nothing to do with what I believe in him. And I _do _believe in him. He didn't betray my family, and he can't be dead. I'd believe Ace betrayed me as soon as I'd believe _you'd _betray me." He glanced at Zoro, adding, "Which means I never will."

Zoro watched Luffy for a few more moments, before speaking. "He seemed like a nice guy when I met him. I was just telling you what I heard." He sighed, his eyes settling onto a drifting cloud. "He has the same freckles your mother has. Are you two related?"

Luffy blinked, rather startled by the question. "No," he said, confused, "he's just my bodyguard. He came to Anchor before I was born. Mom says he was almost dead when he arrived-he was an orphan, I think, and didn't get to eat much. But I've known him all my life, longer even than Coby who actually came when I was about four or five. Ace's been there the whole time. Mom told me once he even used to hold me when I was a baby, and sometimes he tried to sing to me but I always started crying because he's so bad at it." Luffy smiled fondly at the memory, watching the sky and waiting for clouds to pass by so he could name them and pretend they were animals.

This only seemed to perplex Zoro further. "An orphan? Why would your family take an orphan in?"

Luffy looked as confused as Zoro probably felt. "What? Why wouldn't we? We have lots of money and places to sleep and he didn't have any place to go... The townspeople were mean to him. I dunno why... I think he stole from them. If we left him out there he would've died. So my parents let him stay awhile and they were gonna send him away to a better place as soon as he was strong enough, but then I was born and they wanted me to have a friend so they let him stay and said he was my bodyguard and then he was until he was gone."

"I guess he'll be your bodyguard again if he's found," stated Zoro, almost thoughtful.

Luffy frowned—he hadn't thought of that. He didn't want Zoro to leave anymore than he didn't want to never find Ace. "Maybe I can have _two _bodyguards..." he thought aloud.

"That could work," replied Zoro. He hadn't thought that this was going to be a permanent job when he took it. _Was I wrong?_

"But it would be coolest if I was my _own _bodyguard," Luffy concluded triumphantly, turning to grin cheerfully at Zoro with his eyes closed merrily.

"Maybe you could," said Zoro after a slight pause. "With that crazy power you have now, you could do some pretty impressive moves with some training." He reached over and grabbed Luffy's cheek, pulling on it.

"Hey!" Luffy protested indignantly, though the mood was spoiled by his laughter. He swatted at Zoro's hand, declaring, "I _will! _I'm gonna be a great bodyguard to myself _and _I'll be the Pirate King _and _King of Anchor! Just watch!"

Zoro grinned as he pulled back his hand, and he watched the prince with a fond expression before speaking. "Do you really want to be the king?"

Luffy shrugged, grinning to himself as he pulled on his other cheek and let it snap back. He pulled on it again and let it snap once more before he spoke. "Doesn't matter," he said amiably, pulling on his cheek for the third time and slurring his words slightly in the process. "I'm gonna be the King 'cause I'm the Prince and Anchor needs a King, right?" He let his cheek snap shut, chuckling in amusement. "This is fun! Good idea for a game, Zoro!"

"It does matter," stated Zoro, ignoring the boy's final comment. "How is a king supposed to be good at his job if he doesn't like it?"

Luffy looked at Zoro oddly. What a strange question. "I dunno," he said, completely unconcerned. "Guess I'll find out," he grinned.

"I don't see why you don't just pursue your own dreams."

"I _will. _I wanna be the Pirate King and I _will_ be," he said with complete confidence. He stopped and considered it, snapping his cheek thoughtfully as he was quiet a moment. He looked at Zoro, perplexed. "You think I should leave my family behind? Tell them no and let them figure it out? I can't do that..."

He furrowed his eyebrows down. "I don't get you, Zoro. You told me to 'get used to the real world' when we started, and then Kaya said I'd be selfish if I died 'cause the royal bloodline would die out and everyone would be hurt and my mom can't have any more kids... but then you want me to say no to it all and just look at what _I _want?" He was asking the question completely curiously; he was confused by what he saw as mixed messages, not accusing Zoro of anything or challenging him in the least.

Zoro sighed, running a hand through his green-hair. "When I said all that stuff about getting used to the real world, I meant for you to quit acting so sheltered. I mean, you thought everything in the market was free!" He almost laughed about it, but the deep sores on his back made him do otherwise. "You were acting like you weren't a prince, like you were just a normal kid and that what happened to you didn't matter. That's probably what Kaya was referring to, too."

Luffy frowned at Zoro, mildly frustrated by this all. "But Zoro, that's what I _feel like!_" he answered, exasperated. "I never really bothered with the stupid 'Prince' in front of my name... I don't even _like _it. I'd rather just be Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy and that's that. But I didn't know things changed outside of Windmill, and I guess they do. And of _course _I don't wanna be the King! Can you _imagine _me as it? It's everything I'm not... Staying in one place, caught there, all this responsibility to make sure everyone else is fine... Early marriage and early family and being unable to ever appear 'unrefined.'"

He shook his head, frowning, adding bluntly, "If I didn't have a goal for _after _being King I'd probably die just trying to be the King in the first place. At least my personality would. That's why I'm gonna be the Pirate King. Because _that's _the kind of King I really _want _to be." His eyes shined at the thought, unlike when he spoke of his future in Anchor, when they seemed dimmer than usual.

"If you gave the throne to someone else," stated Zoro slowly, his eyes staring at another drifting cloud, "someone who you thought would do a _better_ job...that wouldn't be selfish at all."

Luffy shrugged with one shoulder, looking off into the distance and imagining the sea rocking a boat he could call his own, a home he could turn in any direction he liked and a future that could be cut astoundingly short without anyone having to care about it. "Don't know anyone like that," he answered absently, "but maybe if I did I'd ask 'em. Except I don't think Mom and Dad'd like that much. Sooo... I dunno." He shrugged again, dispiritedly. He tried not to think much about his future in Anchor; it always zapped his energy like nothing else could.

"I'm sure your parents wouldn't want you doing something you hated."

Luffy was silent, staring at the horizon. After a few seconds, he turned to Zoro and smiled, but it was slightly more distracted than usual. "Think about where we are, Zoro! In the middle of a huge desert! We should be running around and exploring instead of sitting here talking! C'mon!" He jumped to his feet and turned toward the tent to gather some supplies for an Adventure. At the thought, he brought his hand up to his head and was relieved to still feel his treasured hat sitting firmly against the slight wind.

"O-oi, shouldn't we just keep going on our journey?" asked Zoro. "I'm sure something will happen along the way." Although, now that he thought about it, he wasn't entirely sure which way they had come from. Or which way they were supposed to go.

Luffy looked over his shoulder with a wide sincere grin, his eyes closed and his hand firmly holding his treasured hat against his head. "Yeah, I know," he said cheerfully, laughing lightly, "It's happened like that so far, hasn't it? But nothing fun will happen if we just sit here—that's why we should keep going! Adventures will find us on the way."

Zoro peered at the morning sun, his eyes narrowing against the bright beams of light. Perspiration had already begun to form along his brow as the desert heat began to soak into the ground around them. "We need to get you to safety." Reaching over to his pack, he pulled out a crinkled, yellow map. Arching an eyebrow, the green-haired man turned it to one side before tilting it into an awkward angle. "...I guess we're somewhere a little past Syrup Village," he mused aloud.

Luffy shrugged with one shoulder at the safety comment. He recognized now that it was true, but he was still of the opinion that a little bit of fun along the way never hurt anyone. Seeing Zoro with the map, he turned around and wandered over to stand behind him, moving his arms back and forth along the way. Now that he knew his body was... different, somehow... (which seemed odd to him—he'd heard that phrase 'you are what you eat' but this seemed a little extreme) he began to pay more attention. When he moved his arms, he _could _feel a difference in the way his muscles shifted and stretched. It was slight, but when he paid attention to it, the difference was definitely there. How weird...

He swung one arm back and forth, noting that the momentum started to lengthen his arm out. It was disconcerting, but it was also sort of fun. At least he'd have his entertainment for the day! Peering over Zoro's shoulder, he furrowed his eyebrows down and stared at the map. He was quiet a moment before he asked, "So... how do you read those things?"

Regarding the map with a calm air, Zoro surveyed the map in silence. He peered closer to the dot marked _Syrup Village_ and ran a finger over a trail of dotted lines that eventually led to a labeled ocean.

"Good question."

"Hmmm," Luffy dropped into a crouch, casually draping his arms over Zoro's shoulder as he cocked his head to the side and stared at the map. He reached out and touched the map on the dotted line. "Is that where we've already walked? Can the map show us where we've been...?" He'd heard of treasure maps and had seen some a few times, but he never actually learned how to _read them..._ Now that he was staring at one and needing to use it, they seemed way more complicated than necessary.

"Dunno," he curtly replied. Tapping his finger against the map, the piece of yellowed paper flapped from the wind. "No one got a chance to explain this thing to me." Looking up, he stared at the sweltering, blue sky. "I don't know a thing about navigation. There's a compass in the pack, but good luck in figuring how to use it."

Luffy frowned thoughtfully, looking up at the sky too as if the answers could be found in the brilliance of the sun. "Don't compasses have a little twirly-thing that moves around if you move them? Ah!" He leaned back, triumphantly slamming one fist into the other hand's open palm. "They point the way you need to go, right? So if we pull it out and just keep going the way the arrow points, we get there, right?" He looked at Zoro excitedly, certain that was the answer.

Zoro eyed the prince with uncertainty before casting a doubtful gaze at the map. "I dunno," he murmured. "I tried that once. It took them three days to find me." Giving an irritated sigh, he resisted the urge to crumple the map into a ball and toss it to the side. "We don't have enough rations to be screwing around in the desert."

"Then let's pick a direction and go!" Luffy declared loudly, cheerfully, jumping up and punching the air. "The sooner we pick, the sooner we see if we're right or wrong!" He laughed, completely carefree.

"You're missing the point." Narrowing his eyes, Zoro gave a mild glare in Luffy's direction. "If we're wrong, we'll run out of food."

Luffy shrugged, looking in all the directions curiously as he wondered which was the best to choose. "Then we'll just find some monsters and eat 'em," he answered, as if it were completely obvious. "Let's go that way! The sky looks bluer in that direction!" He turned toward Zoro, grinning hugely.

Warily eyeing the direction Luffy was pointing at, the bodyguard was silent for a moment. Since they were going towards the ocean, it made at least a little since to head into the direction that was bluest, but Zoro knew that he'd never heard of this being used a method to navigate. Even so, it was the best idea they had.

"All right," he spoke, standing up while clutching the map. "Let's pack up and move out."

"Yay! Let's go!" Luffy jumped into the tent and began rolling up their sleeping materials, binding them to be hooked onto their backpacks. There were shuffling noises and the occasional loud chuckle emitting from the tent as the only indication of where he was.

It only took them about five minutes for the strange duo to gather their possessions. And then they were on the move again, purposefully marching through the hot desert sand.

As they walked, Luffy twirled his walking stick around more, playing not only with the stick but now also with the consistency of his arms. At one point he got the brilliant idea to slam the walking stick into the sand, hold on tight, go jogging back a few feet, and pulllll as far as he could, just to see how far out his arm stretched. ...Of course, he had forgotten about the elasticity, and before he knew it he had lost his footing on the sand. Airborne, he went zipping through the air, holding desperately onto the walking stick still because he really didn't know what else to do, and shot past the stick only to go flying straight for Zoro.

Zoro whirled around, his mouth agape at the sudden sight of his prince hurling towards the air. "Luffy-?"

At Zoro's expression, Luffy burst out laughing and, bracing himself, slammed straight into his middle. The movement was abrupt and dislodged the walking stick from the sand. It, too, came flying through the air at them, but Luffy tried throwing his arm off to the side and was rewarded by the stick just slamming into the ground near them, digging up puffs of sand as his arm snapped back to normal size, the stick still in hand. Luffy continued to laugh, highly amused by it all.

Slamming into the ground, Zoro choked on his own saliva as he slid several meters backward.

When the sand had finally settled and the moment of confusion was over, Luffy sat up, dropping the walking stick to the side. The momentum had sent him sliding across the ground on Zoro's stomach, but now that they had stopped he moved to the side and slouched, grinning at Zoro with his eyes closed and one hand on his hat. He chuckled good-naturedly, looking far more amused than abashed as he said, "Sorry, Zoro! Didn't think _that'd _happen."

"A-ahh..." His back lightly arched, his eyes seeming to bulge from their sockets for a moment. "...I'm sure..."

Oblivious, Luffy looked back the way they'd come and noted the small trench they had ploughed in the sand. "Ooh!" he said, impressed, pointing with his free hand, "Lookit how far we went, though! I bet we could go real far real fast if I tried hard enough!" He closed his eyes again, laughing.

"Please don't," grunted Zoro, gritting his teeth as pain surged through his back.

"Eh?" Luffy stopped laughing and leaned forward casually when he saw Zoro's expression. "What's wrong?"

"Just scraped my back wounds, that's all," he muttered, slowly sitting up. "I'm okay."

"Hmm," Luffy watched Zoro calmly for a moment, seeming somewhat thoughtful. After a moment, he smiled, standing up himself. "Alright, if you say so! Hey, do you think we're any closer to the ocean? I'm really thirsty." He bounced on the balls of his feet, looking around as if he expected the ocean to be right on the other side of one of the sand dunes. Of course, if the ocean wasn't available he would have settled for a water fountain too...

Unscrewing a canteen, Zoro thrust it into the boy's chest. "Drink a little, but you have to save most of it for later."

"Thanks!" Luffy took a large gulp but did close it immediately afterwards. He tossed the canteen back and forth between his hands as he peered around. Abruptly, he began talking as if he were in the middle of a conversation. "If I were a giant monster, I wouldn't wanna live out here! It's so quiet and no one's around and it's reaaaallly hot... You'd think they'd want to live in a town where they could at least talk to people. But no one's out here! Hey, Zoro! How far away are we from more people do you think? What if we were the onnnllly people in miles and miles around? If we died, no one would know for a long time!" He laughed lightly, leaning back on one hand, his other still holding his hat down. The feel of the straw felt comforting against his palm.

Not knowing what to say, Zoro only made a light assenting noise and stood up. Looking up at the sky, he said, "We should keep going," as he waited for Luffy to stand as well. Unperturbed at the lack of answer, Luffy jumped up and, grabbing his walking stick, trotted along behind Zoro.

The two continued on their journey through the desert, heading in the general direction of The Bluer Sky. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, except for similar predicaments Luffy ran into while testing his new rubber body, and the several times Zoro was knocked over in the process. Eventually, after another set of rations was eaten and the sun was rapidly disappearing behind the horizon, they decided to set camp. The night was cold but quiet, and in the morning they awoke to another scorching day and a few more Rubber Body Mishaps.

Luffy, perhaps out of boredom, had taken to naming and announcing his attacks and experiments. This ended up being helpful for Zoro, who knew when to expect a flying Luffy when he heard _"Gomu gomu no Roketo!" _being yelled from far behind him. Luffy was getting a little better at dodging and controlling the momentum of his body, but he still had a long way to go. Zoro, meanwhile, was beginning to wonder if The Bluer Sky was really the direction they _should_ be going. He had the sinking feeling that they were lost, completely lost, and every time he pulled out the map or even dared think of the compass, he only reinforced the fact that he had no _clue_ how to navigate.

Their rations were also running disturbingly low.

Expecting Luffy to live off one ration box a meal became far too idealistic for reality. For lunch the second day, he already inhaled two full boxes before Zoro could stop him, and was reaching for a third. Although Zoro was trying to keep track, he still realized they were down to distressingly few ration boxes, and the water was almost gone. Worse, The Bluer Sky looked no closer to the ocean or even a speck of civilization than it had the morning before. The second night passed much like the first, as did the third day, and by that evening Zoro was beginning to despair. Luffy, however, seemed wholly unaffected by their dire circumstances.

"Hey, Zoro!" He said, grinning from his position by the tent, his legs sprawled before him while he leaned back on his arms. "Wouldn't it be great if we had a horse named Mu? Then when I wanted to get to him really fast I could do a rocket but call it 'Gomu gomu no Go Mu!'" He laughed, closing his eyes in amusement.

"It'd be great if we had a horse at all," growled Zoro, his nerves having been on end for the past day and a half. "Then we could eat it when we run out of rations and maybe drink its blood." His eyebrows were drawn together out of frustration and concern.

Luffy opened his eyes, blinking at Zoro and leaning back as he rocked his feet back and forth idly. "Ew, drink its blood? Wouldn't that taste bad?"

"There was once a great group of warriors who did that to survive," replied Zoro evenly.

Luffy's eyes widened and he raised his eyebrows. "Wow, _really_?" he asked, impressed. He pulled his legs forward, crossing them and resting his forearms on his knees. "And they lived? Did they become zombies?" He leaned forward in interest.

"No. They went on to conquer many places, though." Zoro settled beside him, staring up at the sky. "People trembled whenever they even heard their names."

Luffy's eyes were even wider now and he leaned forward more, completely involved in the story. In his mind, he could see a band of warriors, great warriors, marching across the trembling earth as villages of people and animals and maybe even rivers and mountains shrank away at their approach. It was majestic, and intimidating. He wondered if he would ever be part of a group like that, or if he could even just see someone like that in person... just once. "What were their names?" he asked softly, not realizing the drop in his voice, "Are they around still?"

"Their names were forgotten as their legend was passed down through the centuries." Zoro lightly smirked. "Kinda ironic." Pausing, he looked over at Luffy. "I don't think they're still around..."

"Wow," Luffy said softly, entranced.

He didn't even realize he was staring at the horizon unseeingly, his eyes unfocused as he continued to think about the great band of warriors. Stories like that always caught his attention. It had actually been a similar story told to him when he was very young (was it Ace who told him?) of Gold Roger that made him decide on his ultimate dream.

But the warriors... the story caught him in the same place, the thought of them affecting him deeply. He loved stories like that. He loved legends like that. He would love even more to _become _one. He just stared into the distance; lost in the thought of warriors so legendary even their names became something to fear and ultimately lose. Luffy didn't want to terrorize people, but the idea fascinated him, of adventures so great that even thinking of them was too much for most people.

Yawning softly, Zoro's muscles flexed as he gave a sudden stretch. "I hope we find a town soon," he spoke crankily.

Luffy shrugged, still thinking about the warriors. He slouched forward, watching the horizon quietly. He could almost _see _the warriors the idea was so vivid! Right there, standing silhouetted against the darkening night sky, three of them stood watch over Zoro and Luffy's camp. One turned and gestured to another, and quickly they disappeared back behind the sand dune they had been standing on. Smiling softly, Luffy watched the dune for a moment longer but the image of the warriors had gone. Tilting his head up toward Zoro, he put one hand on his hat and answered confidently, "We will. Everything always works out fine."

The swordsman nodded, but the irritated expression remained etched into his face. His mind had discarded the idea of majestic warriors long ago, but he said nothing of it. Watching Luffy's boyish face as he thought about the concept had been strangely captivating, and it had pulled Zoro into a deep silence.

Luffy looked away from Zoro when it became apparent that he seemed less than thrilled with his optimism. There was no point in arguing the issue; it would turn out, or it wouldn't. Not worrying about the town anymore, Luffy watched the dunes again, admiring the way the last rays of the sun glinted off the sand. Night stole over the desert quickly, casting them in darkness. He smiled slightly, thinking of the warriors again, and with a softened expression he fell silent.

Sensing Luffy's gaze falling away from him and shifting to the sky, the bodyguard paused and regarded the stars with an apathetic look that sharply contrasted with Luffy's subtle delight.

Luffy leaned back on his hands, his legs splayed before him as he rocked his feet back and forth now and then.

The sky was different here than back at Anchor. At home, the ramparts of the castle constantly hid parts of the sky, but out here it was as if the sky itself were larger than the land they walked on. He felt engulfed by its vastness, completely dwarfed and put in place in the great scheme of the universe. At home, because he lived beside the sea, he remembered the clouds curving as if hugging the land, but here they spread out wherever they felt, seeming freer than he remembered.

As fun as it was to compare, however, he slowly came out of his daydream. As the intensity of the night strengthened, he became less involved with staring at the sky and more aware of his environment. And it was _cold! _He had realized before how cold it got at night, of course, as they'd been in the desert long enough by then. But he hadn't been sitting still outside the tent at the time, and now that there was nothing keeping him moving and no sleeping bag to snuggle into, he could feel the chill of the air biting through his clothing. He _could _go in and sleep, but he really wasn't tired. He wanted to stay up. Just for a little while longer. But if he did that...

Luffy glanced sidelong at Zoro, noting how much larger he was and thinking there was probably a lot more body heat in him than there was in Luffy. He shifted then crawled over, dropping back down on Zoro's left and leaning against him as he shivered lightly. He gave no reason or explanation for his move, but he smiled to himself as he felt Zoro's body heat give him a bit of warmth on his side.

Almost immediately, Zoro's muscles tensed as his body was seized with an uncomfortable tightness. Dark eyes darted from the sky and promptly focused onto the prince, eyebrows furrowing. "What are you doing?" he asked suddenly.

Luffy blinked, then glanced up from beneath the rim of his hat. "Getting warm," he answered, as if it was obvious, and it probably was when he shivered again unexpectedly. He frowned thoughtfully then reached for Zoro's arm, tugging on it to try to wrap it around his shoulders.

Clenching his jaw, the green-haired man stared down at Luffy, vaguely apprehensive toward such physical contact. But he allowed the other teenager to pull his broad arm around his chilled shoulders, and Zoro shifted in the sand.

Luffy grinned brightly to himself, pleased. "Thanks, Zoro!" he said cheerfully, pressing against him and putting his arms loosely around Zoro's torso to pull him closer. "You're a lot warmer than me... why is that? Aren't you cold at all?"

The swordsman shrugged, not entirely looking Luffy in the eye as he spoke. "I get cold," he muttered. "I just handle it better than you do."

Luffy frowned slightly, staring up at the sky in thought. "What? Either you're cold or you're not. How can you handle it better? You probably just aren't _as _cold, or you would've reached for me first." He said it with complete confidence, certain that exactly that would have happened. He leaned his head against Zoro, comfortable.

Snorting, Zoro made no move to shove him off as he gave a light yawn. His muscles were slowly beginning to relax, having gradually begun to grow accustomed to Luffy casually touching him over the course of their journey. His eyes fell to a sleepy, partial close, but the bodyguard made sure to keep a vigilant eye out for possible threats in the area.

After a few moments Luffy let go of Zoro long enough to pull his hat off and set it beside him, his thigh securely resting on the rim to keep it from moving. With the straw hat out of the way he leaned against Zoro again and stared at the stars, thinking. He thought he had seen a familiar group earlier but had been too distracted with the cold to pay much attention. Now that he had his own heater, though, he searched the sky again. Sure enough, after a minute of scrutinizing, he suddenly saw what he was looking for.

"Zoro! Zoro! Look!" He laughed clearly, excitedly, and pointed to a seemingly random group of stars in the sky. "It's the Warrior Constellation, do you see it?" His huge grin could be heard even in the tone of his voice.

"Warrior constellation?" asked Zoro, raising an eyebrow as he peered into the sky. "What are you talking about? All I see is a bunch of stars."

"Well of _course _it's a bunch of stars," Luffy said dismissively, pointing more insistently, "that's what a constellation is. But right there's the Warrior one! See him? He's right next to the swimming fish one. And then above the fish is the mermaid... well, that's what I call her anyway. But I like the Warrior most! Do you see him?"

"No," replied Zoro simply. "They just look like regular stars to me."

Luffy sighed, slightly exasperated, thinking Zoro was just not trying hard enough. "No, look-" He paused abruptly, thoughtfully. "Maybe it looks different from your view," he muttered to himself, then shifted, pushing gently on Zoro's arm so he could move behind him. Leaning against Zoro's back, his chin resting on his left shoulder and the side of his face brushing against Zoro's as he peered at the sky, Luffy tried to get the closest view to his bodyguard's as possible. The sky _did _shift a bit from Zoro's perspective, so maybe that was the problem. He grabbed Zoro's left upper arm lightly with his left hand, and with his right pointed over Zoro's other shoulder to the Warrior Constellation once again.

"There, do you see it now?" he asked, a little softer since he was right by Zoro's ear and didn't want to give him a headache or distract him. "See? See those four stars that look like they're in a line? And the two on each side at the bottom? That's his sword and its hilt, and he's holding it up to protect the sky. And see, right out from the bottom star of the sword, see the four stars sort of like a weird triangle pointing up? That's his head and shoulders and his hand... the other one's holding the sword. And then see lower? Those two stars, they're sort of strange but at an angle and spread out? That's his legs."

He paused, smiling and tilting his head against Zoro's as he breathed out in light awe. "See? He's in battle stance. He's protecting the sky and the stars and the moon, and no one can take them away except the Sun because she shines so brightly that no star can stand against her. But it's ok, because she protects the sky during the day, just like the Warrior does at night." He leaned completely against Zoro, though his hand remained held out, pointing. "Do you see?" he asked, softer, just a whisper near Zoro's ear.

Gazing at the sky with rapt attention now, Zoro's eyes silently traveled across the blanket of stars as Luffy pointed to each piece of the Warrior. "Yeah," he muttered quietly, his voice a deep rumble in his throat. "Yeah, I see it." Lightly inclining his head toward Luffy's, the bodyguard gave an awkward smile. "Thanks…"

"You see him? Great!" Luffy said, pleased, his tone more sincere than the usual cheerfulness. Smiling widely, he leaned against Zoro and hugged him from behind as he laughed into his shoulder. "It wouldn't be good if my bodyguard couldn't even see the bodyguard in the sky! And now you'll always know where to find him... the Warrior..."

The green-haired man gave a lazy nod, gradually easing into Luffy's hold and leaning fully against the prince's body. "I guess you got pretty bored at the palace, huh? You know the sky like the back of your hand…"

Luffy continued to smile into his bodyguard's shoulder, silent a moment. He nodded then shifted so his chin was resting on Zoro's shoulder and he could speak, but he kept his arms looped around him and continued to lean against him. "I actually didn't really care about the sky for a long time, but I had a nice view from my room. It was really high on one of those towers; do you remember them? If you're up there you can see the sea really well too."

He paused slightly, his voice soft with past dreams. "...I used to watch the sea all the time, though, and I kept begging Shanks to take me out with him. He ignored me every time and teased me." He stopped, his mind wandering to his hat and the man who had given it to him. It was a nice night, though, and he didn't want to dwell on how he had received the hat. He hugged Zoro tighter, unconsciously, and continued as if he hadn't paused again.

"Before he left, he told me stories about the stars. He said even if he wasn't right there at the castle, I still had his hat, and we were still watching the same sky. When I told Ace that later, he told me about a lot of the other star formations... The constellations have some great stories, you know? They're like legends written in the night sky. They'll never be forgotten, but even if they were, they wouldn't forget us since they look down at us every night."

He smiled to himself and added softly, "...I like that idea."

"It's a nice sentiment," Zoro gruffly agreed, a tiny smile forming on his face. "Stars have practical purposes, too. Sailors use them to navigate."

Luffy nodded, saying rhetorically, "I bet pirates and others use them too, huh? Maybe that's what Shanks meant..." He trailed off, staring at the sky for a bit. As comfortable as he was leaning against Zoro, though, his knees were beginning to ache from his position, and he kept thinking about how nothing was holding down his hat. He should probably pick it up again if nothing else... Moving slowly enough for Zoro to know what he was doing, he hugged his friend a little tighter before letting go and crawling over next to him. He dropped back down to the sand, making sure to weigh the hat down with his leg before he leaned against Zoro and sighed softly. He forgot to pull Zoro's arm over his shoulder again but at least there was enough warmth just leaning against him that at first he didn't bother to try.

Sensing Luffy's chilled body as it pressed against him, the swordsman slowly placed an arm around the prince. "I'm sure pirates use them. You should learn how to use them if you want to be a pirate. Unless you find a navigator who can use them." Lightly rubbing at his temples, Zoro cast an irritated frown towards the sky. "There seems to be a shortage of those out in the desert. We'd better find one soon."

Luffy laughed lightly, enjoying the weight of Zoro's arm and relaxing against his bodyguard. "Are there usually navigators in the desert?" he asked, partially honestly curious, but partially amused at the idea.

"It'd be nice if there were," muttered Zoro. "We're likely to run out of food before we find Baratie. But maybe if we find a town along the-" He paused suddenly, his gaze drifting towards a group of sand dunes. "Someone's here." Instinctively, his hand moved to his swords.

Blinking at the sudden change in subject, Luffy looked curiously at Zoro then followed his gaze. At first he didn't see anything, but something told him that Zoro was right (other than his absolute belief in his bodyguard's ability). He unconsciously leaned away from Zoro to give him more maneuverability even as his hand dropped to his hat protectively. It wasn't long before he could see what Zoro had meant.

Two figures detached themselves from a sand dune, their silhouettes frozen against the dark sky for just a moment before the sand dune seemed to swallow them again as they stumbled their way closer. In the dark it was hard to see details, but the light of the moon hinted at bedraggled clothing and dark stains across their bodies. Even if it weren't for that evidence, it was obvious there was something wrong; they moved in lurches and jerks, as if they had neither the energy nor the ability to walk any smoother. One of them was holding his shoulder protectively while the other just staggered at his side.

"Please," the one holding his shoulder whispered wretchedly as they came close enough to be heard, though they both paused quite a bit away so as not to startle the campers they were intruding on. "Please, do you have any medicine...?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

The one beside him coughed and murmured hopefully in as pathetic a voice, "Or water...?"

Zoro promptly stood up, his eyebrows furrowing at the state of the two men. Even so, his hand remained near his weapons. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"Poor travelers!" lamented the blond with the injured shoulder. "Poor travelers who had an unfortunate encounter with a terrible group of bandits."

"Please, we just need water or medicine or... whatever you can spare," his companion said, his brown hair falling into his eyes as he looked pleadingly at Zoro, assuming he was the leader of the two as he was the one that had spoken. "The bandits killed everyone else in our group... we barely got away... we thought we would die but then we saw you in the distance. It's a miracle..." He coughed, groaning lowly and hugging his chest as if his ribs ached.

Luffy stared at them with wide eyes, then turned to Zoro. "Do we have enough water to give them some...?" He really had no idea how much of _anything _they had...

"Not really, but…" Zoro didn't like the idea of just letting these lost men perish of thirst or injuries. "Sit down," he gestured to the men gruffly. "Luffy, go see if you can find the first aid kit in our bag."

Luffy nodded and shoved himself up, grabbing his hat and slipping it on before he jogged over to their tent and disappeared inside. He dropped down by the bags and realized abruptly he didn't know which of theirs the first aid kit was in. Rather than bother Zoro, he just opened up one of them and rummaged inside as quickly as he dared without missing anything.

The brown-haired man sighed in relief, staggering forward and murmuring repeatedly, "Thank you, _thank you, _you're so kind, thank you..." He hovered near Zoro, apparently so overjoyed at the idea of help that he wanted to be close, but a little hesitant to get so close as to annoy the green-haired swordsman.

The blond nodded, looking relieved as well as he stumbled closer to Zoro. "I... could you help me with my shoulder first? I can't see very well in the dark and... and I'm a little afraid the wound will look as bad as I feel like it is." He looked sheepish, as sheepish as he could while so exhausted, and turned his injured shoulder slightly toward Zoro hopefully.

Blinking, Zoro moved closer towards the man, eyebrows furrowing as he looked towards the traveler's wounds. "What happened? Were you shot or what?" he asked. "It's hard to tell in this dark…"

"Stabbed, actually," the man grunted, looking down at his shoulder. "Guess I wasn't fast enough to avoid their sword..."

The brown-haired traveler, apparently deciding on a course of action, started to wander around Zoro toward the tent where he'd seen the younger man with the hat disappear into. "Maybe I can help your friend look..." he said tentatively; judging by his tone he felt like he was in the way and could do more in there.

He paused at Zoro's back, pulling his hands away from his middle where he had been apparently clutching at his ribs. Taken from hidden pockets, in one hand gleamed a light cloth and in another he held a small bottle. Silently tipping some of the liquid onto the cloth, he waited until the swordsman was intent on looking at his companion's wound before with lightning quick movements he suddenly reached from behind and held the cloth mercilessly over Zoro's mouth and nose. The blond-haired traveler immediately reached up and grabbed Zoro's arms as strongly as he could to keep him from moving.

At the same time as the brown-haired man attacked Zoro, Luffy appeared from the tent with the first aid kit, his eyes closed merrily as he declared, "Found it!" He looked down at the kit in confusion, not noticing at first what was happening as he said, "I dunno if this is right, though..."

Zoro's mind was whirling, and his hands promptly withdrew a sword from its sheath. But his senses were becoming foggy and his vision was beginning to leave him. Throbbing in his brain, the man's heart seemed to beat louder and heavier as his pulse resonated through his body. He struggled like a bug being held under a magnifying glass, especially when he heard the prince's voice cheerfully sounding from the tent.

But then his eyes rolled to the back of his head, the sword clattered onto the ground and darkness blanketed Zoro's mind.

Luffy blinked, looking up when he heard Zoro unsheathe his sword. At first, nothing made sense to him. The two injured men appeared to be hugging Zoro, who didn't look happy as he drew his sword. Luffy slowed, remembering abruptly how Zoro had said he was unused to people touching him, and maybe for anyone who suddenly hugged him he automatically drew his sword...? But then, as Luffy slowly walked closer, he saw that Zoro wasn't being hugged exactly, but maybe restrained was a better word, and the one on his back was holding something over Zoro's mouth and-

"Wha-what the _hell are you doing?" _Luffy yelled, dropping the first aid kit and running over to the man at Zoro's back.

He started to try to tug him away, but it was already too late. Zoro fell limp against them both and the brown-haired man abruptly let him go, turning and attacking Luffy instead. Luffy yelped but started hitting him repeatedly, furious. They had tried to help them and _this _was how they repaid them? He reared back an arm and punched him really hard in the stomach and the traveler stumbled back, dropping to one knee. Because the man was crouched forward, Luffy at first couldn't see that he still held the bottle and that he was rewetting the cloth.

"What did you do to Zoro?" he demanded angrily, pulling his arm back and getting ready to punch the blond one away.

His arm started to stretch behind him slightly, the momentum adding more strength, but before he could snap his arm forward the brown-haired man suddenly jumped onto him from the side. Luffy, who had thought the man was more winded than that and would take a moment longer to get up, stumbled and fell from surprise. He kicked and almost got the heavier man off him, but suddenly a cloth was held to his mouth and he inhaled deeply without thinking.

Immediately he knew something was wrong as his consciousness was starting to fall away, but he only had a few moments' chance to struggle violently, panicking, before his eyes slid closed and he fell limp against the sand.

The blond man had ignored the two as they struggled and instead flipped the swordsman onto his side, pulling the two katana free from Zoro's belt and picking up the third that had fallen to the ground. He pulled out a folded sheet of paper and slid it into the front of Zoro's belt so it would not fly away. Glancing over at his companion in annoyance, he grunted, "Took you long enough."

The brown-haired man scowled. "Little asshole got a good punch in... I wasn't expecting it."

Shrugging, the blond-haired man grabbed the swords and held them protectively as he turned to leave. "Grab 'im and let's go already. I'd rather not be here when the Demon wakes up."

Standing up and scowling at Luffy, the man kicked him in the ribs just to get back at him before he reached down and threw him uncaringly over his shoulder. Now that they didn't need to act hurt anymore, he had no troubles moving. Neither had ever been injured, but the clothes and the fake bloodstains were apparently a successful ruse.

Shifting his grip, he trudged after his companion toward the large lizard they had hidden on the other side of the nearby dune. Once on the lizard, there would be no chance the swordsman would catch them, even if he woke earlier than expected.

It didn't take them long to locate their transport, and within a few minutes they had disappeared into the surrounding landscape, leaving Zoro sprawled alone in the middle of the desert.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Zoro might have stayed unconscious for several minutes longer if he hadn't felt a boot to the head. He almost choked on his own breath as his floundering mind tried to rouse itself into wakefulness. When he apparently wasn't moving fast enough, he felt another kick to the side, and the swordsman's eyes promptly fluttered open. Within a split second, his hand shot out and grabbed at a feminine ankle, squeezing it tightly.

"Tell me where Luffy is," he demanded harshly, voice hoarse and strained.

Nami frowned, yanking on her ankle in an attempt to free it. The green-haired man's grip was starting to hurt. "Luffy? Who's that?" she asked, hands on her hips as she peered down at him.

"My traveling companion," he breathed furiously, abruptly sitting up. Upon the quick movement, his vision reeled and the swordsman softly groaned under his breath before falling back against the ground.

Nami hmmed calmly, watching him with dark eyes. "That doesn't really help much, but if you mean a skinny kid with a straw hat I just saw him with two men on a traveling lizard. They seemed in a pretty big hurry and the kid looked unconscious, so when I ran across you knocked out in the middle of nowhere I figured they'd be related." She looked down at him, raising her eyebrows. "Are they?" Her tone was firm and businesslike, no sympathy or cruelty involved.

"You could say that," he growled. "What's it to you?"

Nami shrugged and crouched beside Zoro, resting her arms on her knees. "I happen to be a freelance navigator looking for a job, and I also happen to know the way those men went. They stole from me earlier so I don't exactly have any love for them... I'd be willing to help you out. For a price."

"A price?" asked Zoro incredulously as he sat up. "My friend has been kidnapped and you're trying to wager some sort of bargain with me?"

Nami shook her head. "Of course I'm not bargaining with you right now, what sort of person do you think I _am_? But I _do _need to make a living, and for that I need to charge something. Let's not worry about it right now, though. The longer we wait the further away they'll be." She pushed herself up and glanced sidelong at him as she started toward the tent. "Is there anything in here you need to bring with? It would take too long to bring this tent down; we should leave it here and you can get it later."

Zoro staggered to a stand, his eyes blearily following after her. "No, we need to hurry and find him," he stated decisively.

Nami nodded, expecting such an answer. "Follow me, then." She turned from the tent and strode past Zoro toward the traveling lizard she had left just outside the camping area. Hopping on, she looked over at him and gestured him closer. "Get on and we can go."

Looking at the girl warily, Zoro frowned. "All right. Just let me get my-" He turned around, his voice falling into silence for several moments. "My swords," he said lowly. "What did you do with my swords!"

Nami looked at him like he was an idiot. "_What _swords? You didn't have any when I found you. Did you lose your swords _and _your friend?" She shook her head to herself, wondering how those two had made it so far on their own. Scrutinizing him, she noticed something white poking out of his belt. "What's that?" she asked, gesturing to it.

Extremely agitated, the bodyguard's gaze fell upon the fluttering paper that was poking out from his belt. Gripping onto it, he yanked it out and studied it. "It's a note," he growled.

Nami stared at him, waiting for him to read it. When he didn't immediately explain anything more, she sighed, slightly irritated. "Okay, annnd...? What's it say?"

"Those back-stabbers took Luffy _and_ my swords!" snapped Zoro, eyebrows furrowing. "To two different locations."

Hmm. Interesting. "Oh? Which are we going for, then? I have a good idea where they'd be taking your swords in a hurry if you want to try them first." She paused, continuing calmly, "Of course, we don't know what they want with your friend... he may not be alive by the time we get them."

"What?" The bodyguard's mind was in a whirl. Luffy was gone. His swords were nowhere in sight. They were in two different places, if this note was telling the truth. Zoro had to get back his swords. They were his everything. Those blades were the foundation of his life. And that one in particular…the white one, Wadou…he _needed_ it back…

_You're weak, Zoro…_

She had been telling the truth, hadn't she? His blood boiled at the long suppressed memory, and his teeth clenched.

Nami watched him carefully, leaning against the lizard and supporting her chin with one palm. Well, the man certainly seemed upset, and completely lost in thought. She waited a few moments before saying, "If we get to the place with your friend and you have no swords, will you even be useful?" She doubted it. Most swordsmen were nothing without their beloved weapons. "We could go for your swords immediately and hope to make it back in time, but it's not a guarantee that would work." She shrugged lightly, watching him. "Just how important _is _this friend of yours, anyway? Did they say what they planned to do to him...? I'm sure he could wait awhile for you to get your weapons... Unless he's really weak, of course." She said the last lightly, trying to get him to make a decision either way.

"Quit talking about this so casually," hissed Zoro, climbing onto the lizard as he spoke. "Take me to Luffy. The swords-" He settled himself onto the reptile, eyeing the creature with distrust. "-the swords will have to wait."

Nami shrugged, turning forward. "If you say so, but I hope this isn't a suicide mission. I'm sure your friend doesn't want you showing up just to die." She glanced over at him, her expression firm. "Are you _sure _you don't want to go after the swords first?"

Zoro paused for a moment, staring off at the horizon with narrowed eyes. "If I do that, I might not seem him again," he responded curtly. "I promised someone I'd keep him safe. Those bandits probably plan to keep me distracted while they kill him or sell him off into slavery or something." Vaguely agitated, he ran a hand through his damp, green hair. "We'll find him first."

Nami watched him, considering his words. It was true enough that the swords were likely a distraction, though she suspected the bandits planned to ransom Luffy instead of selling him to slavery. A Crown Prince on the run was far more valuable as a bargaining tool than he was dead or sold as a lowly slave, after all. Then again, he didn't know she knew who Luffy was, so maybe that was why he brought up slavery. She shrugged lightly and turned ahead, pulling the reins on her lizard to shift it in a different direction and spurred it into motion. "Alright. We'll get Luffy, then. When we get closer to their base, but are still out of view, I'm going to split away from you." She looked over her shoulder, her eyes dark as she continued firmly, "I'll take the lizard with me while you walk into camp alone. Don't tell them you had anyone else help you; showing up unannounced in a place they think you don't know exists will unnerve them and should help you with the element of surprise. While you distract them I'll look for Luffy... If they think you're alone, they probably won't bother guarding him very well."

Zoro gave the orange-haired girl a wary look. "Why should I listen to _you_?"

Nami gripped the reins hard and glared at him, tightening her grip on the lizard to keep from unbalancing as they moved quickly through the desert sands. "I'm trying to help you, idiot! Do you _want_ me to leave you alone in the middle of the desert with no clue where to find your friend? I can drop you off right here, then, and continue on my way. I'm sure your friend can wait long enough for you to figure out where the hell you're going and what the hell you plan to do when you get there." The last was said sarcastically; she knew damn well he'd never find the place. "I know where they're going and I know how those people work. I'm just telling you the fastest way to save him."

The swordsman watched her with a look of mild bewilderment. "Why do you care what happens to us?"

Nami sighed, irritated, and looked forward again. "Do you _always _interrogate everyone who tries to help you?" she asked, exasperated, but paused briefly.

She had thought of this ahead of time, knowing she may need legitimate reasons if they would not just believe her traveling navigator story. Luckily, she already had a back-up answer. She spoke up, her voice calm but slightly hesitant at first, as if she had been hoping she could avoid this.

"I know Kaya, and she told me of two male travelers around my age-one with a straw hat, the other with green hair-who she was worried about sending alone into the desert. She told me if I ran into them to help them, but not to tell them she told me to." She glanced over her shoulder, her expression a bit sheepish. "You know how Kaya is... she didn't want you to know she'd told me. She didn't want to seem like she was underestimating you."

That should work. Nami knew Kaya, of course, but it wasn't like she was in on the apparent underground effort to remove the prince from his homeland. She had recognized the nurse when she saw her talking to Luffy, however, and she knew if nothing else Kaya would be a good alibi. They knew each other, but it was mostly from when Nami had been hurt after stealing from particularly volatile groups, and when she had gone to the clinic in Syrup Village, it was Kaya who more often than not would be there to help heal her. She had never said what she was _really _doing; she just told Kaya bandits hurt her, or some client who hired her as their traveling navigator had turned foul in the middle of the desert. She knew Kaya well enough to know this excuse _should _work, and she was betting on the swordsman's vanity with the underestimating line.

If he believed Kaya sent her as a safety precaution, hopefully he would trust her more. Besides, now she had a reason to know Luffy was the Crown Prince of Anchor if ever the subject arose... but she still planned to play it safe and pretend she had no idea. At least for the time being.

Pausing, Zoro studied Nami for several moments, eyebrows lightly furrowing. A frown creased his face, and for a moment it seemed as if he didn't believe her. Suddenly, however, he folded his arms and almost scoffed. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. And if you really _do_ know where Luffy is, I guess you won't be totally useless."

Man, this guy was a suspicious one. Good thing she had the Kaya excuse to fall back on. She hadn't run into someone _this _wary in quite some time. She tried to rein in her indignation at almost being called useless-he had _no idea _how useful she really _was! _ "Thanks for the vote of confidence," she said with heavy sarcasm, a little irritated with how distrustful he was. She couldn't wait to get the kid-he seemed far more trusting from what she had seen. And the more trusting, the better. That meant more money quicker, after all.

"Yeah, yeah." Zoro suddenly seemed less interested in questioning Nami, his gaze focusing on the horizon again. "Let's just go."

Nami's eyebrow twitched and she closed her eyes, gripping the reins. "We _are _going!" she said loudly, annoyed. What did he _think _they were doing sitting on a lizard sprinting across the desert? Did he think this was some _warm up_ or something? "I can't make him go any faster! We have a long way to go-it's not like the bandits were going to drop your friend off right on the other side of the damn dunes! Just... sit back there and quietly angst or something. You're bothering me."

Growing indignant, Zoro snapped, "I'm bothering _you_, huh?" As they rode along, the sand crunching beneath the lizard's feet, the swordsman scowled. "Whatever, I don't care as long as we get to Luffy fast, okay?" But he drifted off into a silence, apparently deciding not to waste his breath.

Nami snorted and didn't bother replying at first. She had already told him they were going as fast as they could, and she had _also _already told the idiot the best plan for rescuing his precious prince. It should be a given that they would get there soon. "Don't worry about it," she said, a slight edge of irritation still in her voice, "We're getting there as quickly as possible, and _far _faster than they'll expect. You'll have the element of surprise and your friend back soon. Let me deal with getting there. _You _can figure out what you'll do when you show up swordless at a bandit's hideout." She glanced over her shoulder, smirking. "I doubt annoying them will be very effective, so you may want a plan."

Snorting, the green-haired man cast an aggravated glance at Nami. "You worry about your side of the deal, I'll worry about mine."

Nami faced forward into the wind and grinned to herself, the expression cunning and amused. "Sounds good," she said loud enough for him to hear, and concentrated on directing the traveling lizard in the correct direction. Good thing she already knew where these idiot bandits had their base of operation; being a girl definitely had its advantages. People always underestimated her, and she learned _oh _so much in the bars late at night when everyone ignored the girl passed out in the corner... Now it was just a matter of getting there quick enough to protect her newest investment: the Crown Prince of Anchor, on the run from assassins and under the protection of a single cranky green-haired swordsman.

* * *

The feeling of jolting movement and muttering voices was what finally woke him. His ribs ached and his head felt light and dizzy, as if it wasn't quite attached the way it normally was. There was the aftertaste of something sweet and pleasant, confusing him for a moment as he tried to orient himself and remember what had last happened.

Luffy tried to open his eyes, and for one heart-stopping moment he couldn't tell if he was blind or if it was the dead of night, but after blinking a few times he felt his eyelashes come in contact with something at the movement. Cloth...? He was... blindfolded...? He tried to shift, then, thinking of sitting up and taking the blindfold off (why would Zoro have _blindfolded _him?), but found he couldn't move.

It was another long moment of dizzy confusion before he realized he was tied up, his wrists caught together and (he realized as he tried to move his arms) held against his body. Rope wound its way around his torso and legs, and he couldn't tell but he was pretty sure he may be tied to whatever was moving, too. He tried to shift again, jerking around, hoping to stretch his way out of it, but whoever had tied him up must have thought of his new rubber body ahead of time; he just couldn't move enough to do anything but struggle in irritation.

He growled, angry and unhappy with his current situation, and demanded immediately, "What's going on? Where am I?" He didn't know if anyone was around, but he thought he could feel someone on either side of him, and he vaguely remembered voices waking him up.

"Shut up!" came a harsh bark that grated upon Luffy's ears. The prince's aching side was rudely jabbed, a stern warning to keep silent and still.

Luffy scowled, turning his head toward the voice and ignoring the warning and dull pain. "Who _are _you? What the hell did you do to Zoro? Lemme go _right now!_" He struggled again, trying to break free from the ropes, but it just felt like the more he struggled the more he hurt himself. It didn't stop him from trying, though.

"I said to shut _up_!" An elbow slammed into his back as they continued to bounce along. "You should be worrying more about yourself than that worthless bodyguard of yours anyway. He isn't of any use to you anymore."

Luffy grit his teeth at the pain but didn't make a sound. He wasn't about to give the jerk the satisfaction of knowing how much that hurt. What was worse, with the blindfold on, he couldn't predict where the guy would hit him if he did, so he couldn't even try to dodge or brace himself. Annoyed, he glared in the direction of the man. Well. He _was _glaring, but with the blindfold on he wasn't sure the guy knew it. "_You _shut up! Let me off this stupid thing right away, you asshole! And what the hell do you mean not any use? Zoro's gonna _kill_ you when he catches up to us!"

Laughter was the only response Luffy's demands met until the amused man spoke, a twisted mirth still coloring his voice. "Let you off? You're giving pretty tall orders for someone who's completely defenseless. I wouldn't be waiting up for that swordsman, either. He's not going to show up for your rescue - we made sure of that."

Luffy growled lowly, struggling again. "What'd you do to him? What'd you _do? _ What the hell do you _want?" _

A tinge of cruel malice suddenly edged the man's voice as he spoke. "Your bodyguard was out cold - some great warrior _he_ turned out to be. Tricking him was a cinch - it was way too easy for us to gut him like some fish."

The world seemed to slow, the words echoing in his mind. _Gut him like some fish... gut him... _Luffy felt cold inside, ice cold, like his blood had dropped temperature and spread throughout his body. He went completely still, tense, not wanting to believe it. Zoro was strong-he wouldn't die so easily. He'd made a promise to Luffy's parents to bring him to Shanks, and he'd also said he was going to be the strongest swordsman in the world. The strongest swordsman wouldn't die just because he was knocked out and someone attacked him... But he _had _seen Zoro on the ground, he _knew _he had been unconscious... Would they really have...?

"You're lying," he said, softly at first, but then he yelled, "You're _lying!" _

"You sound so sure of yourself for someone who was unconscious during the whole ordeal," responded the man smugly. "Gutting is a messy business, really - seems like his pitiful screams might have woken you up."

Luffy struggled furiously, wrenching at his arms so violently that his shoulders ached from the pressure and the pain in his ribs increased as the ropes dug into him. "Shut up, _SHUT UP!_ You don't know what you're talking about! Zoro wouldn't die so easily! I_ hate _you!_ Lemme go!" _

"Stop it." This voice was new and a bit softer, although there was a hint of authority in his voice. "Stop getting him riled up like that. It's not necessary."

Luffy felt another elbow jab into his back. "All right, all right. I was just having a little fun." The crueler man scoffed. "I'd leave his useless soul to wither out in the desert if his hide wasn't worth so much money."

Luffy continued to struggle, though not as desperately. He wasn't sure, but he liked to think that meant Zoro _wasn't _dead, that by 'fun' the man meant 'lying.' But he couldn't be sure... maybe he just wanted to taunt Luffy and watch him struggle.

He scowled, saying loudly in irritation, "I'm not worth anything, you idiots! Untie me and leave me alone!"

Luffy quit being jostled so much, as if whatever they were riding on had come to a halt. "Quit playing dumb. We know you're a prince."

Luffy froze, not really knowing what to say at first. They knew? Were they the assassins with the bombs from Anchor? Had they followed him that far? If they knew, and they _were _the assassins, that meant they really _wouldn't _care about killing anyone and Zoro _could _be dead. He tilted his head, frowning. Zoro had to be alive still, though, and he wouldn't like it if Luffy admitted who he was.

"...I don't know what you're talking about. Why'd we stop? Are you letting me go?"

"Hardly," came a third, gruff voice as Luffy heard movement near him and the rope holding him against the transport loosened. He was unceremoniously hauled into the air and over a broad shoulder. "Where should I take him?"

The moment Luffy realized he had switched positions, he jerked around again, trying to get the man to drop him. He was still tied too tightly to stretch, but he refused to give up. "Let go! Let me go _now!_" he demanded.

"Lock him up in the storage room," the softer voice from before replied, speaking over Luffy. "Keep guards on him at all times, and don't forget to use this." The last was said stronger, with more authority, and the man holding Luffy shifted, presumably taking something. The authoritative man paused and muttered, "He'll never be quiet otherwise."

"Right." And within moments, a damp cloth was firmly pressed over Luffy's nose and mouth.

Luffy froze, remembering what had happened before when he breathed through the cloth. He was determined to avoid it this time, but the cloth appeared so suddenly he hadn't had time to take a deep breath. After several long moments, his lungs burned for air and as much as he tried to avoid it, he involuntarily inhaled. A pleasant smell overcame his senses, making him feel dizzy as he struggled lightly for several seconds. It wasn't long before his body gave out and he fell limp, unconscious.

* * *

Nami tightened her legs on the traveling lizard, urging it to move faster. In order to avoid being spotted, she was moving in a large arc around the back of the bandits' hideout, just in case they managed to see her despite the darkness of the night. She didn't know how long she had been riding with Zoro, but it had to slowly be nearing morning by now and she didn't want to get caught sneaking around as the sun's rays broke over the dunes.

The pale buildings of the abandoned town loomed to her right in the distance, causing her to smile darkly. The town used to be prosperous, when an oasis had supported it and it had been the largest city situated between Anchor, Baratie and Arabasta.

Unfortunately, when the oasis dried up, so did the town, and those few unfortunate souls who had tried to linger died after years of struggling against the cruelty of the desert. It was said the wailing ghosts of the past could still be heard among the broken buildings, a mournful echo of a time that felt so long gone. It had only been about five years since the oasis faltered, but the superstitions were well in place and no one dared step foot inside the haunted area any longer. It was, therefore, the perfect hideout for the bandits that slowly started to form in larger groups.

She didn't know what faction the group with Luffy was under, as there was an intricate system in place with multiple leaders of smaller territories, but all the bandits used the abandoned town frequently as a resting place. She had recently heard a rumor that one faction had taken control of the town for their own purposes; she could only assume this was that group. Trying to steal the safe haven from the other bandits would be expensive, though-not only would they need money for weapons and recruiting other men, but they would want to strengthen their hold on the area and could even start their own trading system. Not to _mention _the money they were probably using for bribes.

That was probably why they kidnapped Luffy, Nami mused as she slowed the lizard and tied it to a cactus out of sight from the edges of the town. They were likely intending to use his ransom money as a boost for their power.

She tied a dark bandana over her hair to hide the brightness of the orange, and glanced down once more at her dark clothes. Perfect. Crouching, she peered over the dune, then slipped around the side and quickly made her way into the deeper shadows of the nearest building. _Zoro had better do a damn good job of distracting them,_ she thought with a frown as she infiltrated further. Though abandoned, the town was still large, and even having been there before was barely a help to her. She had no idea where they would have Luffy right now, and there were quite a few buildings to check through...

She could do it, though. She'd had harder jobs in the past. Besides, this time, the rewards were _quite _enticing... It was only so often a girl ran across a Crown Prince, after all. She couldn't _wait_ to see the Beli roll in...

* * *

A fire flickered and dimly lit up the dark compound and the small group of men that sat around it. Swords rested at their sides as each unkempt bandit studied his own deck of cards in mild concentration. "When did you say Gin would be back? I'm sure he'll be happy when he finds out we got that Anchor prince locked up tight in our storage," spoke a dark-haired fellow in a slow drawl.

"Said he'd be back by the morning," replied his companion after a few moments of silence. "He'll be glad to know that swordsman isn't roaming around on our turf anymore, too."

"Actually, I heard Ricks and the others only took his sword and sent them off with the latest shipment to Baratie," responded the first man. "Which I guess is just as well - he's always been going on about how he could beat Roronoa Zoro in a fight, and I guess he felt like stabbing the guy while he was unconscious wasn't so fun." He seemed to hesitate in playing a card, deciding against playing his initial move. "Still, though…it's not every day you meet a guy like that. I'll bet he went off to get his swords before he came back. I heard one of 'em was a real nice sword that's highly sought after, if you know what I mean."

A third, scrawnier man snorted, a hat tilted over his eyes. "Roronoa Zoro isn't nearly as tough as people make him out to be, I'm sure. I mean, our gang snatched that prince of his in no time at all. Weak scum like that isn't fit enough to lick my shoe!" Cloaked and shadowy, a figure emerged behind the haughty man, however, and the bandit was lightly tapped on the shoulder.

The smaller fellow barely had time to cast a curious glance behind him before he was promptly met with a fist in his face. With a sharp yelp and a spurt of blood from his nose, he fell back as his sword fully clattered onto the ground.

"What the-?" a fifth man jumped up, reaching for his sword and turning toward the figure.

The others sprung up, reaching for their weapons.

But the intruder was too quick, having already taken a hold of the fallen man's weapon. Within moments, he had disarmed two others and taken their swords in turn. Promptly placing one in his mouth, the man's hood fell back, revealing a certain green-haired bodyguard.

"I don't lick people's shoes," he grunted hoarsely, suddenly lunging towards the group of men.

The disarmed bandits stumbled back, the first one dropping to the ground and staring at him in horror. "Ro-Roronoa _Zoro?" _he yelped, unable to move.

"When did _you _get here?" the other demanded, trying to calm his wavering voice. He reached quickly into his boot and pulled out the hidden dagger he had to the side, holding it toward the infamous swordsman with only the slightest of trembling.

The third man groaned, holding one hand to his nose and slowly sitting up, glaring hatefully at Zoro. The hell? What was _he _doing there? He never should have made it to their hideout so fast, even if he _hadn't _gone for his swords...

But Zoro was not dissuaded, baring his teeth upon seeing the futile attempts to hold him off. Split seconds passed before blood sailed through the air, sending the group of bandits to the ground. Clouds of dust rose from where they landed, and a moment of eerie silence loomed before a terrified scream sounded from behind him.

"_Z-Zoro_! Roronoa Zoro! Help!"

Smirking, the swordsman turned just in time to see a fat, grungy man frantically waddling as he shouted the alarm. Really, there was no need for the bandit to expend so much effort. Within moments, Zoro dashed towards an old water tower that had been abandoned long ago. Drawing out his swords, he promptly slashed at the supporting beams that held it in place. With a mighty, agonized moan, the tower crashing towards the ground. Debris and sand flew in every direction, and the bodyguard stood tall as he coolly surveyed the damage.

_Let's see if that girl says I can't cause a good distraction after this…_

The resounding crash of the tower overwhelmed the night, reaching out to the bandits that had not heard the panicked scream of Zoro's name. Across the abandoned city, men reached for their weapons and ran toward the sound. Those who knew who to expect had chosen stronger weapons, had tried to take precautions, but many of the bandits were unprepared for the sight. Though they had chosen proper weapons, they had expected to find a group of their own people fighting, or perhaps another faction of bandits waiting to attack. Stumbling to a halt and seeing _Roronoa Zoro, _infamous swordsman and bounty hunter, was not exactly something that thrilled the ones who had not heard the yell.

A large group formed a ring around Zoro, some of them eyeing the broken tower with trepidation, others getting a closer view of the famed bounty hunter. In the darkness of the night, with the sand still billowing around him, Zoro provided a menacing sight; it seemed appropriate that he had been termed Demon in Human Form. His eyes almost seemed to glow, and a few of the bandits stumbled back involuntarily. The ones in the front of the line smirked, unafraid.

"So you can cut down the tower," a sandy-blond haired bandit taunted, idly playing with his sword as he smirked at the bounty hunter. "Big deal. It was old as hell, about to fall anyway. You think that scares us?" A few behind him nodded and yelled their own agreement or taunts, the bravado spreading and giving courage even to those who had initially been unnerved.

"Yeah! You can cut down a tower but can't even protect one whiny little kid!" one laughed, and others joined in.

"He's all flash and no power. He can't even do anything to us..."

"Too bad _he _don't have a bounty 'r somethin'. We could'a gotten money on his head _and _that brat's..."

"Nah, we're lucky enough the kid's worth anything," another laughed back, "Though why his country'd even pay to get him back's beyond me. It'd be too much to expect money for _this guy _too." Laughter erupted in the crowd, swirling around Zoro in a rush.

"Normally I wouldn't be wasting my time cutting down useless bandits like you," spoke Zoro lowly. "But I can't let you take the prince and get away with it."

The bandits just laughed cruelly, highly amused. The sandy-blond-haired man from before grinned, the expression heartless and unforgiving. "See?" he said, speaking to the crowd even as he stared at Zoro, "He just says this shit to sound impressive. _Normally _he'd run away, but _this time _he came or he wouldn't get that rich bitch's money." He narrowed his eyes, readying his sword. "You came to die, _Demon," _he sneered, making the feared name an insult, "Just warnin' ya." He moved as if to attack but a yell to the side interrupted him.

"_Stop!" _

The bandits paused, looking immediately toward the noise and moving out of the way. The brown-haired man from before, the man who had attacked Zoro from behind at the campsite, shoved his way through the crowd. A murmuring followed him, the name Ricks whispered and muttered.

Ricks sauntered into the opening, holding a wicked-looking curved sword and grinning at Zoro. "Well, well, who do we got here?" he said slowly, looking Zoro up and down. "You got here faster than I expected. How'd you find us?" He tilted his head as he finally got a closer look at the damage. He spread his arms as if to encompass the town. "Don't you like our place? It took us _so long _to decorate, but here you are, already changing the look..." His sarcasm seemed cruel and taunting.

"I'm not here to talk about home décor, although you probably enjoy those sorts of things," snorted Zoro. Positioning his swords with skill, the man's eyes narrowed. "You were one of the guys who took Luffy. Give him back."

Ricks raised his eyebrows, taking a moment to roll his neck and wander a bit around the ring, moving a few steps one way and a few back. "Hmm," he said thoughtfully, scratching his chin and finally turning to look Zoro in the eye again. "Nope. Don't think I will." He shrugged, adjusting his grip on his sword and saying offhandedly, "'Sides, I'm not even sure you _want _him back now. He wasn't exactly in good shape last I saw him. Pretty pathetic kid, doesn't put up much of a fight, y'know?" He sighed, looking disappointed. "Guess that's what happens when royalty lets brats like that get away with anything. Eventually they're taught their place, but they just break _so _easily..." He trailed off, lamenting the fact.

"Luffy isn't like that. You're obviously talking about a different prince." Gripping tightly on the weapons, he narrowed his eyes. "Tell me where he is if you want to keep your head where it is."

Ricks laughed, shifting into a fighting stance and gripping his own sword harder. "No, we're talking about the same one. And I'm not telling you _shit. _ You wanna find that stupid kid, you gotta go through me first, and all these other guys second. You'll never make it, Roronoa. Give up now if you want your precious reputation to stay intact."

Zoro almost laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of this arrogant man's words. "Yeah, it _would_ damage my reputation if I lost to you guys, wouldn't it? Seeing how incredibly weak you are and everything." Without another word, he lunged through the crowd. Screams and yells trailed after him, promptly leaving a wake of bleeding, writhing bodies on the ground.

There was a moment of stunned silence at the suddenness and strength of his action, but soon there was a roar of voices as the remaining bandits ran furiously at him. The wounded screamed in agony, causing even more noise to reverberate through town and into the surrounding desert. Ricks turned, calmly watching as the others attacked Zoro.

The bodyguard went through his attackers so quickly and so efficiently that it seemed Zoro was a man of systematic brutality. One by one the charging bandits fell to the ground. Crimson stained his blades and even his shirt, although it was likely that this blood was not his own.

The bandits still alive and well finally realized what they were up against, that not even attacking all at once would save them. Several stumbled back and, screaming, frantically scrambled away. Others, furious at how little effort Zoro seemed to be exerting, felt taunted by his strength and attacked with even more anger. Ricks stood at the back, watching how Zoro moved, grudgingly admiring his style. He waited for his chance, expecting at least _some _wounds to appear on the bodyguard. Anything to slow the Demon down some when it came to his own fight. He still expected to win; he had his own style and his own plans. But if Zoro was bleeding from several places and unable to use an arm or two after the mass attack from the bandits, well, that was even better.

Several moments passed before more men had taken to the ground, blood mingling with the dried desert sand. Eyes narrowed, the swordsman suddenly stood straight, eyes burning with fury and irritation. His scornful glare settled upon Ricks. "Give me Luffy."

Ricks stared back, amazingly calm considering how many men had just been defeated in front of him. "You know," he said suddenly in a conversational tone, "it _really _pisses me off, seeing perfectly good swordsmen like yourself being lapdogs to royal scum. Makes me want to kill that kid even more. Maybe I'll do that next." He held his sword in front of him and smiled coldly. "You want that piece of shit so bad, come beat me. I won't give you _anything." _ He readied himself, having a good idea of what sort of attack to expect after having watched closely how Zoro dealt with the others.

Eyebrows furrowing, Zoro gracefully moved towards Ricks with terrifying speed. His blades seemed to cut through the air as the swordsman sailed past the bandit.

Ricks stood still, eyes wide and surprised. His sword clattered to the ground and he fell forward, buckling first onto his knees before landing face first in the sand. He could feel his blood pooling beneath him, but he still couldn't understand how he had been beaten so easily. He'd thought he had good reflexes, _amazing _reflexes, and yet... He turned his head with effort, his eyes falling partially closed as he stared at an awkward angle at Zoro. Maybe Demon _was _the best name for him after all... But he still refused to be beaten. He had one trump card left, and he would use all the energy he had left on it, just to win. He had to wait for the perfect time, though.

Smirking, Zoro silently sheathed his swords. He barely cast a glance at the fallen man. "Luffy isn't scum," he said finally.

Nami appeared around the corner of a building, dragging Luffy along with her. She was leaning forward, one of her hands holding his arm over her shoulders and her other hand holding him by the waist as he stumbled along at her side. She was in the middle of growling something to him when they arrived at the scene of the battle, her words echoing over to Zoro, "-ould at _least _try a little harder! I'm not going to drag you the whole way!"

She paused as they turned the corner, surveying the scene for an appraising moment before she turned her firm gaze on Zoro. "Well. Looks like you _did _keep up your side," she said, pulling the prince along as she walked toward him. "Found Luffy, but _you _can carry him. He's too heavy for me." Well, that wasn't true. She had carried far heavier things before, but that was usually treasure, and she had more patience for that than she had for stumbling royalty.

Luffy's head was tilted down, his movements the sort of staggering lurches of someone barely awake or not completely in control. He had yet to look up, his straw hat making it impossible to see his expression, even if it hadn't been the earliest morning hours before the sun had yet to rise.

"You actually found him." Zoro sounded mildly impressed, and he wasted no time moving towards the faltering prince.

"Of _course _I did," Nami scoffed, "You didn't believe me?"

Luffy, who had been still mostly asleep and unable to really follow Nami's lecture, suddenly snapped his head up at Zoro's familiar voice. His eyes lit up and he grinned widely, pulling away from Nami to stumblingly run toward him. "_Zoro! _You're alive!" he cried, ecstatic.

His coordination still seemed foggy and slow, like he was still asleep but his body was trying to move anyway, but he didn't care. He looked down at his feet to keep from stumbling, and it was at that point that he saw movement along the ground out of the corner of his eye. It took a moment for his confused mind to even register what he was seeing, but when he did he looked up immediately to Zoro, his eyes wide and startled. Zoro didn't appear to have noticed the man on the ground aiming a gun at him, and Luffy acted without thinking.

"_NO!_" He threw himself in front of Zoro, facing the man on the ground with his arms held out protectively, as if he could somehow stop the inevitable from happening. The brown-haired man (Luffy recognized him now, the man he had punched before) was already pulling the trigger, looking surprised but still darkly satisfied to see Luffy appear in the line of fire.

The bullet was fast; Luffy barely had time to close his eyes to brace for the pain before it hit him in the chest, causing him to stumble back a step. It hurt, but only in the way something blunt and small hurt when hurled quickly at him, not at all the way he remembered the shot to his arm feeling.

There was the strangest sensation of the bullet... going through him but... him going with...? He looked down, shocked, and stared at the hole that went through his clothes. It took a moment for him to understand what was happening, and when he did, he really couldn't tell if he was still asleep or if this was the truth, some strange side effect of his new rubber body.

After a moment, he could feel the momentum of the bullet caught in his skin slow down, and with a startled yell he straightened, the bullet zinging harmlessly off to the side. The man on the ground stared, shocked, the gun clattering to the ground a moment before Nami appeared behind him, slamming into his head and rendering him unconscious with her staff. She looked up at Luffy with wide eyes, caught between surprise, disbelief, and annoyance, and just stared as Luffy laughed cheerfully.

Gawking in horrified disbelief, the swordsman's hands roughly gripped Luffy's shoulders. "Are you all right?" he barked as he suddenly spun the prince around to where the pair were facing each other. Zoro's dark eyes immediately scanned down the boy's body, inspecting him for any injuries.

"I'm fine!" Luffy said cheerfully, laughing freely as he suddenly lunged forward and hugged Zoro tightly, ignoring the blood coating his bodyguard's clothing. "You're alive! I knew he was lying, I _told him _he was lying!" He buried his face in Zoro's chest, too happy to see him to think about anything else.

The bodyguard abruptly stiffened at the warm hug, his jaw tightening. Gripping onto Luffy's ear, Zoro pulled on it, making it lightly stretch. "How did you know that bullet was gonna bounce off of you like that?" he asked.

Luffy made a face, pulling back to peer up at him and give him a strange look. "That feels weird," he told him, and laughed. "I _am _rubber now, you know!" In truth he _hadn't _known it would bounce off him, but he wasn't about to tell _Zoro _that... That seemed like the best response. He grinned cheerfully up at Zoro, closing his eyes in the movement, loosening his hug but not dropping his arms yet. "But who cares? You're alive!"

"Of course I'm alive," said Zoro, somewhat confused. "What made you think I wasn't?" Piecing together what Luffy had mentioned earlier, the swordsman's eyebrows furrowed. "Did someone say I was dead or something?"

"Yeah," Luffy scowled, stepping back to point down at the man who had shot at them. "He did! He was so mean..." He trailed off, one hand unconsciously going to his back where he had been repeatedly elbowed. His expression grew more somber as he thought of what the man had told him, and wondered what he would have done if it had been true.

Silently watching him, Zoro placed a heavy hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Well, I'm obviously still here," he said at length, albeit a bit awkwardly.

A little startled at the hand, Luffy looked up at Zoro, watching him silently briefly before he grinned brightly. "Yeah, you are. You promised so I knew it couldn't be true, even if he made it seem like it was."

Before he could say anything more, assuming he wanted to, Nami appeared on the lizard as it jogged closer to them, two large bags tied to its shoulder area bouncing in the movement. "I have transport and provisions," she called out as she came within speaking distance, ignoring the seemingly touching scene happening before her. "We can stop by the campsite on the way to Baratie to pick up the rest of your stuff." She pulled on the lizard's reins, stopping it beside the two as she stared calmly down.

"You have any rations?" asked Zoro gruffly, his hand falling to his side as he stared up at the girl.

Nami raised her eyebrow. "What do you think that is?" she asked, gesturing to one of the bags. "I'm not an idiot, give me a _little _credit here."

Luffy's eyes were glued to the bag the moment she gestured to it. Food... he liked that idea. He grinned happily up at her as he came closer. "I dunno who you are, but _thanks!" _

Zoro eyed the girl as a vague wariness washed over his face. "Who _are_ you, anyway?"

Nami raised her eyebrows. "Hey, don't give me that look; it's not _my _fault you never asked my name," she told him sharply then smiled over at Luffy. "I'm Nami, a freelance navigator currently working for you two. I know you're Luffy, but what's your cranky friend's name? He never told me either." She gestured to Zoro, knowing full well his name but pretending she didn't.

"That's Zoro!" Luffy answered cheerfully, glancing at his bodyguard with a huge grin. "He's the best bodyguard ever! Does that mean you're the best navigator too?"

Nami grinned back, her eyebrows pulled down slightly, giving her expression more of an edge. "Of _course _I am! No one's better at navigating than me-land _or _sea."

"Wow!" Luffy stared up at her, clearly impressed, while she just grinned back proudly.

"Gimme a break." Stepping over to the lizard, Zoro promptly threw his leg onto the creatures back in an attempt to hoist himself up.

"_Hey," _Nami said, turning around and shoving hard on Zoro to push him off. "Don't get on the lizard, you're full of blood! Go grab some clean clothes somewhere. I refuse to travel for hours with someone so disgusting, and you'll probably attract every predator from here to Baratie." She turned to Luffy and gestured at him impatiently. "Go get some robes for us too. Ours are disgusting."

Luffy looked down at his clothes with a blink. He didn't think they were so bad... But then, he _was _covered in dirt and filth from the storage building, and Nami's wasn't much better after dragging him around. Shrugging, he turned to look for something slightly clean they could both use.

Clearly exasperated, the bodyguard gave Nami an irritated glare before looking over at Ricks' prone body. He strode over to his fallen foe. Silently, he crouched down and removed the man's robe from his unconscious body. Surprisingly, since it had been open in front its edges were barely tinged with blood despite the pool the bandit was lying in. Still, it was far better than the soiled garment Zoro was currently wearing. Shedding the ruined shirt from his torso, his figure lightly bent as the moonlight revealed stained bandages that were tightly wrapped around his torso. The dressings had begun to peel off, a long, dirty ribbon dangling from his side.

Tossing the shirt onto the ground, Zoro wrapped himself within the robe, securely tying it in place. The loosening bandages were neatly tucked away from view.

Luffy, who had been rummaging around the area staring at the ground, finally found some acceptably clean robes. He was actually fairly surprised to find any; Zoro had made quite a mess. It was a little disturbing, walking among so many fallen bodies, but he knew they had been bad men so it didn't bother him as much as it could have. He jumped up, holding a robe in each hand as he waved them wildly at their new navigator. "I found some!" He grinned and jogged toward the lizard, still holding them up high.

Nami, who had been watching the sky to gauge the weather and guess the time, looked over at the sudden noise. "Yeah, great," she said a little distractedly, and reached down to take one when Luffy came within distance. "Here, give me that and get on. The sun will rise soon; we should get as far as we can before the heat hits us too hard."

Luffy's grin remained as he pulled himself up onto the lizard behind her, holding her waist lightly for balance as he looked around for his bodyguard. "Hey, Zoro! Ready yet?"

Grunting lightly in response, Zoro finished adjusting his robe before silently striding over to the lizard. "You gonna let me on this time?"

Nami eyed him appraisingly. "This time, yes. Get on, we need to go." She turned forward, hands on the rein, ready to take off immediately.

"Yeah, yeah, just hurry up," spoke Zoro gruffly as he hoisted himself onto the lizard. "I'm ready to get to Baratie."

Nami made a soft noise of disbelief (like _she _had been the one holding them back that long!) and gripped the reins, about to urge the lizard into movement. She paused, though, and glanced around. "We should really look for a second lizard first," she said, thinking aloud, starting to turn the lizard back toward the center of town.

"What?" Zoro sounded annoyed, an eyebrow lightly twitching. "Why? Isn't this lizard good enough?"

She twisted, peering over Luffy's shoulder in annoyance. "It's a good idea, we should do it. It shouldn't take _too _long..."

"It's not necessary," he curtly growled. "We'd risk another encounter with some stray bandits, and then we'd be wasting even more time."

Nami stared at him, annoyed, but she could see he was going to be stubborn about this. Besides, he had a point. Still... She sighed, not wanting to deal with another argument. "Fine, whatever." She pulled on the reins and redirected the lizard one last time. Within moments, they were sprinting across the desert as the sky steadily lightened around them. It was going to be a long time before they reached the campsite and even longer before Baratie. She just hoped her patience held out.

* * *

The sweltering sun's rays poured relentlessly onto the trio as they plodded along. The poor lizard they were all crammed onto looked like he'd rather be dead than carrying his current sweaty, unhappy load. He had been rushed for hours to get to the campsite, and only had time to rest while they packed up the tent before he was pushed to travel more. That day had been taxing, and they had only rested when the girl pointed out their transportation was about to fall over. They rested (not nearly as long as the lizard wanted!) and slept for a bit, and then it was back to traveling as fast as possible again. In short, the lizard looked, and felt, like hell.

Roronoa Zoro didn't look that much better himself. His face was pale and rather worn, the stolen shirt lightly flapping in the hot wind as he held onto Luffy's waist. "Can't you make this thing hurry up? I gotta get to Baratie so I can claim my swords."

Nami looked over her shoulder at Zoro, trying to give him a Look while the lizard's jolting run bounced her around and Luffy's hat kept getting in her way. "This lizard is trying to carry three people at once—they're only made for one, maybe two at _most_. What do you want me to do? It can only go so fast. Anything that would've happened to your swords would've happened by now. If you were going to make such a big deal about going faster, maybe you should've let us look around for another lizard beforewe took off."

Luffy, leaning against her back, stuck between Zoro and Nami, made a pitiful whimpering noise as he ignored their conversation. "I'm _hot_..." he whined softly, tilting his forehead to rest against what would have been the back of her head if she hadn't been looking back at Zoro—but since she was, his '_precious'_ straw hat was scratching the side of her head irritatingly, and she just felt even hotter with his body heat that much closer. She glanced at him too in irritation, though turned her gaze back to Zoro to see if he understood what a ridiculous request that was.

Zoro gritted his teeth, his cranky gaze heatedly peering at her through the sunlight. "Easy for you to say," he growled. "The fate of my swords doesn't affect you at all." Growling with frustration, he stared up at the cloudless sky, vexed with how endlessly hot it was. "I can't believe I lost them. I have to get them back. Make the lizard go faster."

Nami narrowed her eyes, nearly glaring at him before she smiled sweetly and the expression turned a bit ominous. "Alright, Zoro," she answered, sarcasm tingeing her honeyed voice, "I have a great idea, then. You jump off the lizard and run along at its side, and maybe we dump Luffy too, and then I'm _pretty sure _the lizard will go a little faster."

Zoro's eyebrows furrowed. "Quit joking around. This isn't funny!"

Luffy leaned against Nami more, continuing in his own train of thought instead of listening to either of them. "And I'm hungryyy," he whined, the words drawn out pathetically.

Nami tried to ignore Luffy as she glared at Zoro. "I'm _not _joking! How can I make it go any faster when we're already asking too much of it? Sprint can only do so much, can't you, Sprint?" She patted the lizard on its neck while the lizard jumped a little higher in happiness at the touch.

"Sprint?" Zoro stared at the back of Nami's head with a blank stare. "You named it _Sprint_?"

"Of course!" Nami said, smiling down at the lizard. "What else would I name him?"

"Lizard," grunted the swordsman.

Nami shook her head, making a scoffing noise. "You have no imagination." She pushed back at Luffy, annoyed at him leaning against her so much. What was _with _these people? They had no patience and no navigational skills, and _definitely _no appreciation of how lucky they were to have found her. But then again, what could she expect from nobility? They used everyone around them until they had nothing left to give, and then they used them more.

"Zorooo," Luffy drawled from behind her, deciding she wasn't giving him any food so maybe he should try the other person, "What's going on? When do we eat?" And, just in case Zoro was going to ignore him like Nami was, he sulkily leaned back against him to make him pay attention.

"We eat when we get to Baratie," he spoke gruffly, staring warily at the rubber man. "Hey, Nami, when are we getting to Baratie?"

Nami was _very _tempted to reply 'we get there when we get there' but she decided it would only make him ask again and frustrate her more. She looked around at their environment—noting a few hidden landmarks, considering the height of the sun in the sky, mentally assessing the map of the area—and almost sighed at her conclusion. "Soon enough, depending on if we run into any sandstorms along the way. I doubt we will; the weather seems stable enough today."

The bodyguard regarded her with a bland expression before casting a tired, aggravated gaze around himself. The sooner they got to Baratie, the sooner Luffy would quit wallowing all over him while complaining about being hot and hungry. Sitting in silence for several moments, the green-haired main surveyed the area, alert for any signs of strange activity. But the desert seemed peaceful and at rest.

Zoro noted with mild interest that some scattered plant life had begun to appear upon the desert surface, namely cacti and certain kinds of dry grasses. It wasn't much, but it was different from what he'd been seeing for the past monotonous week. Those flags poking out from behind the dunes added a nice touch to the terrain, too…

-wait…_flags_?

Nami noticed the flags as well, and narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the sight. Flags? She didn't remember Baratie ever having _flags _on the outskirts of town. She had been by here many times before, but this was a new addition. Did it have something to do with the recent bandit attacks on the area...? She was still considering this when Luffy straightened behind her.

"Ooh!" he said, his hunger and overheating forgotten in the face of something new and interesting. "Look, flags!" he said excitedly, as if he needed to point it out to the two who had noticed before him. "What are they for?" He leaned forward suddenly, putting one hand up to shade his eyes even more than his straw hat provided as he tried to make out the logos. "Maybe it's a game!"

The image of a skull and two unidentifiable shapes behind it shone brightly upon the black flags that waved violently in the wind. The sight would have seemed fearsome if it weren't for the fact that each skull had a prominent, long nose protruding from it. "Is this some sort of joke?" asked Zoro softly, raising an eyebrow.

Suddenly, however, an explosion detonated beside them, sending smoke, fire and sand through the air. The lizard reeled with fright, but managed to stay in place instead of running away. The blast had been a good thirty feet away and hadn't done them any damage - a warning shot.

Nami shrieked in surprise and covered her head with one hand, the other gripping the lizard tightly, but Luffy had the exact opposite reaction. As soon as he had been able to see the flags clearer, he straightened, and by the time the blast went off he was leaning toward the flags (and danger) with utter abandon. "Is that-?" he gasped mostly to himself, then whipped around to look at Zoro and point excitedly at the flags. "Pirates_, _Zoro!It's _pirates!_ _They have pirates in Baratie?"_ He was so excited that his grin dominated his face and his eyes sparkled with glee. He seemed utterly unconcerned with the fact that they had just been shot at and the lizard almost tipped over.

"Yes, idiot!" growled Zoro, gritting his teeth as he stared at the crater the explosion had left in the dry ground. "And they want us dead!"

Before Zoro could demand that Nami should find a better route, a large shadow loomed over one of the dunes. The figure was bold, and the sunlight shining behind it only emphasized its greatness. Apparently haughtily surveying them for a few moments, the newcomer chose to speak with a loud, resonating voice.

"Halt, bandits! Come not a step further, or my men and I will shower you in a torrent of bullets! I have a thousand members of my crew hiding behind the dunes, and back up is on the way!"

"_Wow!" _Luffy yelled, his eyes sparkling and his jaw dropping as he stared at the figure, "A _thousand _men? Amazing!"

Nami glared and pointed at the figure accusingly. "A thousand men wouldn't _fit _behind those dunes! What the hell are you trying to pull here?"

"Of course my men fit behind these dunes!" cried the man with great confidence. "For we have the amazing power of _invisibility _and are cloaked from the naked eye!" As he impressively tilted his head towards the sky, the shadow of what appeared to be an extremely long nose could be seen. "I am giving you one last warning - turn back or face utter doom!"

The swordsman, however, didn't seem nearly awed as Luffy. "Invisibility, huh?" he called, a smirk crossing his face.

Luffy gasped, eyes sparkling even more at the idea. "Invisible?"He looked around excitedly. "Are they around us _right now_?"

Nami scoffed, more in line with Zoro's thinking. "If you don't even have any men to back you up, why'd you bother attacking us?" she called out, annoyed.

"Do you honestly expect us to believe that you have over a thousand invisible men waiting to attack us?" called Zoro, becoming tired of this pointless game.

"Y-yes!" The man's certainty seemed to waver for a moment. "Our only demands are that you turn back and leave Baratie alone! This is your last warning!"

Luffy still looked excitedly around for the followers but Nami just rolled her eyes. "Come on, Sprint, let's go," she said to the lizard, urging him to start trotting toward Baratie again. "We don't have time for this stupidity."

"N-no, wait!" The figure stepped into full view, revealing a tanned boy who couldn't have been any older than eighteen. "Look, we just don't want any trouble. You bandits…you guys took a lot from our city last time." He paused, mustering a lightly trembling smile. "Aren't you bored of us?" he added hopefully.

Nami slowed Sprint to a stop when the figure spoke, but before she could say anything, Luffy burst out, "Bandits? We're not bandits!" He started laughing while Nami glanced at him sidelong. Well, she thought resignedly, there went any ideas at possibly using the man's belief to their advantage. Luffy, meanwhile, grinned at him. "You're funny! But if we're not bandits does that mean your men will go visible?" he asked the last rather hopefully.

"Luffy, there aren't any invisible men," muttered Zoro, lightly elbowing Luffy in the back.

The stranger however, seemed surprised at the prince's declaration. "Not bandits!" he exclaimed, genuinely surprised. His startled tone melted into confusion, which quickly took to skepticism. "If you're not bandits, why are you riding one of their lizards and wearing their clothes?"

"What! No invisible men?" Luffy exclaimed, surprised and disappointed. He turned to the stranger, looking angry and crestfallen at the same time. "You _lied?" _

Nami held her hands up, ignoring Luffy's outburst. "Why does it matter how this came to be? Maybe we were starving in the desert and ran across some bandits who had stupidly died of heat exhaustion, and we needed clothes and transportation and took it. More importantly, have you seen any bandits passing by recently? They may have been a small group."

"If you stole their supplies, you should at least have the decency to blot out their mark!" He gestured to Zoro, gritting his teeth. "The guy with the green hair is wearing their emblem like it's a fashion statement!"

Turning his head, the swordsman glanced back at the logo on his back with a raised eyebrow. "Y'mean it's not?" he asked vaguely.

"No!" cried the curly-haired boy, clenching a fist. "It's a mark of _death!_"

"It is?" Luffy asked, interested enough to let the invisible man thing go... for the moment, anyway. He turned to look at Zoro but he couldn't see the logo from his position. He furrowed his eyebrows down and turned to the stranger. "Now that you mention it, what did you mean about the bandits earlier...?"

"They've been terrorizing Baratie lately," Nami explained, glancing briefly at Luffy before she turned back to the man. "The bandits-did you see any group coming before us within the last few hours?"

"Why do you want to know?" called the boy, taking a step towards them, a slingshot clutched in his hand. "Are you trying to meet up with pals of yours?"

"No," Luffy said indignantly, crossing his arms and looking rather put out. "They're not our friends! They're mean and anyway they stole from us."

Nami nodded. "It's really important we get back what they took... Honestly, the bandits attacked us and we fought back and won, but we needed protection from the sun and swift transportation to catch them. If you must know, that's how we ended up like this." She gestured to Sprint and their attire.

"How do I know I can trust you?" The long-nosed fellow didn't sound convinced.

"Why should we trust _you? _ You already lied about the invisible men! We never lied about being bandits," Luffy exclaimed. He was still angry about the invisible men-mostly because they sounded _so cool _and then they didn't exist. But maybe they really existed somewhere else!

"Luffy," Nami said, annoyed, "That's not helping any." She turned to consider the man. "But you're right. We can't trust him anymore than he thinks he can trust _us._ Even if he told us where the bandits were, it could be a trap. Let's just go find them on our own." She pressed her heels against Sprint's sides. "C'mon, we'd better start now. This may take us awhile."

"N-no!" The man stepped in front of them, spreading his arms out as if that would block them. "I've seen too many people get hurt from the likes of you. If you're going into the town, my invisible army and I will have to escort you and make sure you don't try anything funny."

Luffy eyed the man suspiciously. "_Is _there an invisible army, or is there _not? _ I wish everyone would make up their minds!"

"Ahh, if you insist," Nami said with a sweet smile. "Just lead the way! But we don't have any room on Sprint; you'll have to walk."

"Walking is not a problem for me!" boasted the man, his chest puffing out with pride. "I've walked to Anchor and back by myself in two days!" Turning on his heel, he resolutely began to march forward, but his suspicious gaze would occasionally flicker back towards the trio. The curly-haired teen took to waving his slingshot at them, apparently as a reminder of what he could be capable of.

Zoro had watched this scene unfold, a lazy expression on his face as he let Nami and Luffy do the talking for him.

"_What!" _Luffy exclaimed at the man's claim regarding Anchor, "But it's taken us—!" He stopped himself just in time, glanced once at Zoro, then continued more calmly, "—uh, this long to find someone that cool? Amazing!" He paused, then asked after they had walked a bit, "Who _are _you, anyway?"

The man grinned at Luffy's delight, staring up at the cloudless sky as a scant flock of birds glided towards the city ahead. "I am The Great Captain Usopp!" he declared, a thumb thrusting itself into his thin chest as he strode along. "Friend to the fine city of Baratie!"

"Ohhh," Luffy said, grinning. "I'm Luffy! And this is Zoro and Nami! We're—Wait! Did you say _Captain _Usopp? So you _do _have an invisible pirate crew!" He slammed one fist into the open palm of his other hand, pleased to have discovered the truth finally.

Nami just rolled her eyes. It amazed her that he was _still _on the invisible pirate crew topic...

"Luffy..." Usopp drawled the name out upon his lips. "That name sounds oddly familiar..."

Zoro gritted his teeth. "It's-a fairly common name," he spoke up at last.

"Maybe where you come from!" laughed the curly-haired man, a strangely nervous edge to his voice.

Luffy looked lost somewhere between sheepishness and confusion, but the expression passed fairly quickly. "So where are we going, anyway?" He gasped, suddenly throwing himself forward and smashing into Nami who grunted and yelled out in annoyance. He ignored her, though, as he tried to peer down at Usopp. "You're from Baratie? That means you know where we can get food!"

"Luffy," Nami growled from beneath him, "get _off me! _ And we have to find the bandits first, you idiot!" She shoved backwards really hard, forcing him off her so roughly that he would have slammed into Zoro if he hadn't caught himself just in time.

"What?" Luffy pouted, "But I want food... How can we go bandit-searching if we're too hungry to think?"

"Food?" inquired Usopp, looking up at the trio again. "Of _course_ I know where to get food! I know where to get _the_ finest food that will make your _knees_ buckle and your _hands_ tremble! It's _the_ place for the most delicious-"

"We get the point," Zoro said shortly.

Luffy was drooling at the description, almost falling off Sprint as he leaned heavily toward Usopp. "Whaaa? I want that food! Can we go there? Where is it? Is it close? Is it _really _that good?" His eyes sparkled dangerously brightly at the idea.

Nami just looked at him in annoyance before turning to Zoro, hoping that he at least would look at this sensibly. "Zoro, do we wantto find the bandits or not_? _ Are we seriously considering stopping for a freaking _brunch?"_

The bodyguard rubbed at his lightly aching temples, eyebrow lightly twitching. On one hand, he knew without a doubt that he needed to get his swords back. On the other hand, he felt like he couldn't put up with another minute of Luffy's whining. "You and Luffy here can get something to eat while I go look for them," he spoke at length.

Nami shook her head. "You'll never find them on your own—I've been to Baratie several times. I know the area well, and where you'll need to go to look. Besides, you'd get lost immediately and it'd take us all day just to find you again. Let's find this restaurant, check it out, and Luffy can eat there while we go look. I'm sure he wouldn't mind waiting around a restaurant until we returned." The last was added rather dryly; she may not know Luffy well but if there was one thing she knew, from the moment she had first seen him the boy had been obsessed with food.

Luffy nodded at the plan. "That works! Let's go!" He punched one fist into the air, the other hand holding his hat down as he grinned happily.

Zoro was quiet for several moments. He didn't particularly like the idea of leaving the prince alone, but knowing that he couldn't be shot made the suggestion slightly easier to consider. Not to mention the bodyguard liked the idea of killing two birds with one stone - feed Luffy, find swords.

"All right," he finally agreed. "But Luffy has to promise not to leave the restaurant."

Luffy's grin slipped and he looked over his shoulder at Zoro solemnly. He stared at Zoro for a moment, then closed his eyes and bowed his head forward slightly. "I promise I won't leave the restaurant. I'll absolutely stay there until you come back," he said, and he meant it.

Nami looked at Luffy, mildly surprised by his reaction. Strange. Apparently he took promises very seriously...

By now, they had entered the bustling city, it's streets lined with market tents and ornate buildings. A group of children was rushing past them, giggles floating airily behind them until they spotted the lizard. Stopping short, their eyes seemed to bulge from their sockets and their stares settled onto Zoro in particular.

Laughing nervously, Usopp waved his hand at them. "Go on, go on, there's nothing to see here. Captain Usopp has already brought them into submission. I won't let them get out of control!" Watching the trio crammed onto Sprint for a moment, the children eventually did as they were told, disappearing into a crowd of adults.

Staring over at Zoro, Usopp muttered, "Oi, you might wanna take off that shirt while you're here."

"Take off my shirt?" The idea seemed to irritate him, but he apparently saw enough sense in the idea to remove the garment.

Luffy watched Zoro then turned to Usopp. "Do we need to take ours off too?" he asked, gesturing to Nami and himself.

Nami twitched and smacked Luffy hard on the head. "I am _not _taking off my shirt!"

Luffy brought his hands up to his head and looked at her with a hurt expression. "...Ow," was all he said, a bit sulkily.

They walked along in silence, Usopp apprehensively leading the way. They passed by an entire market place, and Zoro's eyes roamed the area, trying to find his swords while they were passing through. When they left it behind with no missing sword in sight, the bodyguard frowned and held a displeased silence.

Finally, however, they arrived at a highly decorated building. The outside showed off cheery hues of pastels that filled almost any onlooker with a warm glow. A lavish sculpture of a fish perched upon the rooftop, staring down at the happenings of the city. It gleamed with the bright sun's rays, and Usopp gave a small smile while staring at it for a moment before he whirled around to his companions. "Well, this is it!" he proclaimed proudly. "Great, isn't it?"

Luffy made an appreciative, impressed noise, staring up at the fish on top as he held his hat down. "Amazing!" He paused, then inhaled deeply. "I can smell the food out here! It smells _so good!_" Excited, he shifted and was about to jump off when he realized Zoro was still holding onto his waist to steady himself. He grinned at Zoro over his shoulder, saying cheerfully, "My stop! I'm gonna get off now."

Zoro looked down at Luffy for a moment before silently sliding his arms away from his waist. Turning to Usopp, his voice was clear and direct. "Anything happens to the kid and I come looking for _you_. Got it?"

Usopp managed a short, "Eep!" which Zoro took to be an affirmative.

Luffy laughed, waving a hand at Zoro. "It'll be fine, it'll be fine! It always is somehow." He grinned brightly and carefully shifted so he wouldn't upset Nami or Zoro, then jumped off the lizard. He landed with a huge grin and a bounce in his step near Usopp, one hand holding down his hat while the other rested at his stomach. "I'm so hungry I could eat the whole building!" he declared, laughing and closing his eyes in merriment.

Nami stared at Luffy. He was _such_ a strange person. They all were, really. Looking at Zoro over her shoulder, she raised an eyebrow. "Alright, ready?"

Scooting up slightly, Zoro gave a simple nod and cast a glance at Luffy that clearly said, _Don't you dare wander off. _

"C'mon-" Usopp took Luffy's arm, leading him inside with bright eyes. "The food here is _great_!"

Luffy glanced over his shoulder with an expression that read, _Geez, I already promised, didn't I? I won't. _ Then, smiling brightly at Zoro and Nami for good measure, he yelled out a quick, "Good luck!" and, laughing, was pulled into the building. He quickly turned his attention away from Nami and Zoro as he looked around inside. He was actually pretty happy to be in there with just Usopp-even though he lied about the invisible men (or had he? Luffy _still _wasn't quite sure what was happening with that), he seemed like a lot of fun. He hadn't ever gotten the chance to meet so many people his age before; he was extremely excited to be lead through a restaurant with the _best _smelling food with a new friend his age. Luffy's grin widened even more, and he happily followed along with Usopp.

Outside the restaurant, Nami watched Luffy disappear into the building then turned to Zoro. "Alright," she said as she looked down at Sprint, "we can stay on Sprint through most of Baratie but some of the places we have to go, he will just get in the way. Obviously everyone here associates these lizards with the bandits, so we can do it one of two ways-walk on our own and try to infiltrate the area quietly, or we can use the fact that people fear the bandits and maybe they'll be more likely to help. But then we may run into resistance. I think we should leave Sprint here; we can pull out your shirt if we need the bandits' insignia."

"We can leave the lizard in a dumpster for all I care," grumbled Zoro. Upon hearing those words, the scaly beast pawed nervously at the ground, slits for eyes glaring at the swordsman. "I just want my weapons back. Walking isn't a problem for me."

Nami shrugged, jumping off Sprint and patting him on the neck. "Stay here, Sprint. We'll be back." Turning to peer down the street in the direction of the market she thought the swords were most likely to be, she shielded her eyes from the sun and said, "We're going this way, then. Don't lose sight of me, and _don't _get distracted. There's a lot going on in that market, but if we lose each other it'll just take that much longer to get your swords back." She turned and looked sternly at Zoro, "And if you see the swords, nod in their direction or somehow let me know without saying it aloud. If those people realize how much you want them we'll _never _get them back cheap."

Zoro waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, okay." Slipping off of their ride, the bodyguard headed off into the direction Nami had referred to.

Nami stared at Zoro's back with an unimpressed expression. Somehow, she doubted this would go as well as it should... Shrugging and putting her hands up helplessly, she jogged to catch up to him. "Hey! Didn't I just tell you _not _to lose me?" she demanded, though she didn't put much vehemence behind the words. Keeping at his side, she wandered toward the market place even as she considered the best places to check first. She hadn't been to Baratie in awhile. She wondered if her favorite merchants were still around...


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"This is my domain," Usopp proudly proclaimed. "I've been here for years seeing to everything. In fact, this place would've gone under a long time ago if it hadn't been for my magnificent managing skills. Everyone knows me here and nobody questions my authority."

A tall waiter rushed past Usopp and the disguised prince, apparently in too much a hurry to even utter a small apology to the curly-haired man.

"Uh…see? He was so scared of me, he could barely speak!" laughed Usopp.

"Amazing!" Luffy exclaimed, looking at the man that passed with wide eyes. "You're really a great guy, huh?" He slapped Usopp on the back, "But I don't see why they're scared of you!" He continued to laugh happily, closing his eyes as he did so.

"Yeah!" grinned the long-nosed fellow, but then his smile faltered momentarily. "Yeah…a real swell guy…"

Luffy stopped laughing and peeked his eyes open, noticing Usopp's change of body language and looking at him oddly. "You're pretty strange too but I like you," he declared, grinning brightly. "So this is your place?" he asked, looking around with wide eyes. "It's amazing! I've never seen such a big restaurant... and it smells so good too! Do we get food soon?" He turned to look at Usopp with huge, hopeful, shiny eyes.

Looking over at the boy, Usopp's smile quickly returned. "Food? Are you kidding me?" Gesturing grandly around them, he tilted his face into the air with pride. "You'll discover the finest food at arm's length!" Holding that position for a moment, his voice became a little quieter and he gave Luffy a sheepish grin. "If you have money, anyway."

Luffy's expression was growing more and more excited as Usopp talked, to the point that his jaw dropped and his eyes were practically sparking as he imagined all the food he would eat—but his expression fell to one of confusion at the mention of money.

"Eh? Money?" he asked, looking bewildered. He scrunched his face up and looked away, putting one hand to his chin thoughtfully. "I had some of that once..."

Ever since the market incident, he had begun to understand the importance of money. The more he thought about it, the more he missed the huge vault back home. How many times had he run past that door uncaringly when trying to hide from Coby or someone else? How many times had he walked past mountains of gold, not even realizing what that meant? He sulked. It wasn't fair that he had so much money but it was so far away and he couldn't use it or even _talk _about it and... He looked at Usopp with a tragically sad expression. "...If I don't have any then I can't get food?" he asked, rather pitifully.

Usopp stared at Luffy for several moments in silence before his eyebrows rose to his dark bangs. "You mean you came to eat at a restaurant without any money?" he asked incredulously, the pitch of his voice rising with the question.

Luffy sighed. This was turning into just another market thing, wasn't it? What was _with _people and money, anyway? "I forgot," he pouted, looking away. "I keep forgetting I don't have any."

Frowning, the curly-haired man placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "O-oi, don't let that get to you." Eyes darting around the room, his voice lowered so he wouldn't attract any attention to themselves. "I'm sure we could work something out…"

"_Really?" _Luffy asked, excited. "We had some but then the bandits came and we lost everything and then Kaya helped us and she gave free food but then we left and bandits came again! I can get some later and bring it back—or! Do IOUs work? Can we eat before we decide?" He grinned happily.

"Bandits stole everything from you?" asked Usopp, his voice growing softer still as his eyes widened. "Why didn't you say so earlier?" He was about to address the IOU question when suddenly he was shaken by a jolt of surprise. "Wait, you know Kaya?"

Luffy blinked, then grinned. "Yep! She's blonde and nice and fixes people when they're hurt? I know _that _Kaya—she's our friend. Hey, if I know Kaya does that mean I can eat _here _for free too?"

Lightly whapping Luffy upside the head, Usopp looked at him seriously. "Oi, don't get your hopes up so high." Pausing for a moment, his eyes lit up. "Anyway, I used to live in Kaya's village a long time ago. We still write each other letters. In fact, I'd just sent a letter to her via the mail lizard when I came across you guys."

Luffy laughed. "You lived in the same village? Wow! What are the odds we'd run into both of you? I wonder if the lizards will get there faster than we took getting here." He paused, thinking about the clinic and the last state he had seen it in. Usopp probably didn't know about that... Looking at him a little more seriously, he continued, "Do you think it'll know not to go to the clinic? It burned down. But Kaya's okay and she was helping everyone and no one was hurt."

Upon hearing this news, Usopp seemed horrified. "The…clinic burned down?" he managed after a moment. "But how? And when?"

Luffy wondered briefly if he should have let Usopp find out later, but he didn't want him to hear through some rumors on the street first and have to worry about if Kaya was alive or not. He shrugged, though his expression remained serious. "...It might've been bandits." He really didn't know. "It was right before Zoro and I left—I don't know how long ago. Just a few days. I lost track of time in the desert... But they had a shelter and I think they were gonna rebuild and everyone seemed okay." His hands still hurt from the heat and glass but he had removed the bandages the other day in the desert after he kept dropping his walking stick. Although they were still damaged, he was hoping Usopp hadn't noticed. Maybe Usopp would just think anything else that still remained from the fire (like the sunburn he thought he still felt on his face) was from him being in the desert...

"I hope my letter gets to her okay," Usopp mumbled to himself. Then, looking Luffy up and down, his tone abruptly sounded impressed. "And you've traveled all the way from Syrup to here? That's not an easy journey. Especially after having an encounter with bandits." Managing a grin, he jerked a thumb towards the kitchen. "I'll go check to see if we can't find something for you to eat. Stay right here, okay?" And with that, Luffy's new friend turned and quickly exited the room.

Luffy watched as Usopp left, wondering why it was supposed to be so impressive that he made it so far, even with the bandits. He had Zoro as his bodyguard; to him, that meant it would've been more surprising if they _hadn't _gotten as far as Baratie because Zoro was really good at what he did. But he _was _happy to be so far away going on adventures and now he was in a huge restaurant and there was lots of food around and—Luffy's eyes popped wide open as he saw one of the most _delicious _looking meals he had ever seen carried by a waiter as he passed.

He stared after the food, entranced, and didn't even realize that his feet had moved on their own as he ended up following the waiter. The food was too quickly dropped off at a table, but then Luffy saw something else that caught his attention—a hallway! Maybe the kitchen was back there and Luffy could see what they were making and maybe they'd give him something if he stood there long enough!

Besides, he wanted to see more of the restaurant. He wandered down the hallway, forgetting to wait for Usopp. He had only passed two doors when he suddenly smelled something delicious. Not thinking, he ran over to the door and threw it open, bursting into the room with no warning.

A blond man reclined on a bed in the far corner, his right leg in a cast and extended before him on the bed, his hand just lighting a match. He jumped slightly and looked up, and Luffy could see that his hair hid his left eye. His one visible eye widened in surprise as he stared. "—Thehell? Who're _you?"_

Luffy looked around excitedly but it was only a bedroom. "What!" Luffy said with disappointment instead of answering the question, "This isn't a kitchen." He looked at the blond man accusingly, as if _he _was the one responsible.

The man narrowed his eye, staring at Luffy rather incredulously. "I never said it was! What're you doing in my room anyway? Can't you read the signs? The restrooms are at the end of the hall and anyway the kitchen's not open to guests." Striking the match again, he lit a cigarette and brought it to his lips.

Luffy frowned, looking around until he finally spotted the source of the smell. A plate was resting on the table on the other side of the bed, but the food had not yet been touched. His stomach growled loudly at the sight and he slumped to his knees, his hands at his waist. "I'm so hungryyy..." he said instead of answering the questions, and just stared pathetically at the food.

Suddenly, the door flew open again and Usopp poked his head into the room. "I'm really sorry to bother you, Sanji, but Carne told me he saw a friend of mine-" His eyes had already located Luffy before he had a chance to finish his sentence, however, and the curly-haired man sputtered indignantly. "_Luffy!_ I told you to wait for me beside the kitchen!" The man had nearly had a heart-attack when he discovered his guest had disappeared, especially with Zoro's parting words looming over him.

Stepping completely inside, Usopp's arm snaked around Luffy's, lightly tugging at him. "C'mon, Sanji doesn't need to be bothered. He gets cranky."

"Hey!" Sanji protested, glaring slightly at Usopp. "I do _not _get cranky..." The effect was rather lost by the fact that he sounded cranky when he said that.

"Sorry, sorry," Luffy said lightly to Usopp as he stood up, "I didn't know where the kitchen was and got lost. And then I smelled his food!"

Eyes trailing down to the warm plate of tender chicken, steamed rice and a cup of soup, Usopp gave a soft frown. "You better eat up before it gets cold, Sanji." As an afterthought, he assured him, "Don't worry, I didn't make it this time, either!" Laughing, he pulled Luffy away as his companion had begun inching hungrily towards the food. "This guy just might take it from you!"

Sanji dragged a breath through the cigarette then exhaled slowly, letting the smoke drift from his mouth to float lazily in the air. He watched the new person Luffy, noting his desperately hungry expression.

After a moment of thought, he shifted his gaze to Usopp. "You know I'll always eat your cooking, Usopp," he answered, smirking slightly, "no matter _how _poor the presentation is. Even if this isn't from you, I'm just not hungry right now." He drew in another breath, then reached over to pick up the plate and held it out toward Luffy. "I can't stand that sort of pathetic expression around me; if you're not gonna take him to the kitchen right away then he can have this."

Luffy's eyes widened at the thought but he didn't move for the plate until he knew what Usopp wanted. It was taking _all _his willpower not to just jump on the food, though. It looked so good!

"I thought my presentations were okay," muttered Usopp, eyebrow lightly twitching. Upon seeing the extended plate, however, the curly-haired man's frown deepened. "You hardly ate anything last night either. Something wrong?"

Sanji shook his head. "Nothing's wrong, I'm just not hungry. I'll eat later. As for your presentation," he grinned, "you just get carried away. I can tell it's from you when there's too much garnish and not enough food."

Luffy eyed the food still being held out to him, then frowned slightly. He didn't reach for the food, though, and instead just waited for the other two to stop talking.

"Hey, I never claimed to be a chef. I just work here for the roof and the bed," he reminded the blond with a wry smile. Sensing Luffy's impatient pause, however, Usopp waved a hand. "Go ahead, take it if he doesn't want it. Sanji can't stand to see anyone hungry."

Luffy grinned widely, jumping forward and practically ripping the plate out of Sanji's hands. He dropped to the ground, crossing his legs and devouring the food at an alarming rate. "Ah!" he managed between mouthfuls, "this is so good! Thank you so much, I was _starving..._"

Sanji watched him calmly for a moment, then grinned. "Good, isn't it? That's because it comes from Baratie, the best restaurant you can find. Everyone here's an expert at what they do."

Luffy just mumbled something appreciatively and finished what was on the plate.

"What would that make me an expert in?" asked Usopp with a grin. "Being witty with the guests? I mean, we all know what a handsome devil I am - I probably draw in most of the clientele with my charm."

Sanji snorted, shaking his head to himself. "If you say so," he answered, amused. He reached over and snuffed his cigarette out in the ashtray near his bed, then leaned back against the headboard, watching the other two.

Luffy suddenly bowed his head, holding the empty plate toward Sanji with both hands. "Thank you very much for the food," he said to the floor, "It was delicious."

Usopp had been caught up in indignation from Sanji's comment until he saw Luffy gratitude. His frown melted into a wide grin and he placed a playful arm around the boy's shoulder. "You should try some of Sanji's stuff. It's a hundred times-no a _million_ times better than that stuff you just ate there!"

Luffy's head snapped up and he almost dropped the plate as he stared up at Usopp with huge eyes. "_Really? _ But this was already as good as food back home!" He was nearly drooling at the thought of not only more food, but _better _food as well.

Sanji smirked and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Well, can't be helped then," he murmured, reaching with awkward grace for his crutches. When he had first been confined to the bed from infection, he found it difficult to get out without nearly falling on his face, but he was getting better at it. Weeks in a cast certainly gave him practice with balance and working with his crutches, if nothing else. He shifted his weight and adjusted the crutches so he could better stand.

"O-oi!" The long-nosed fellow sharply looked at his blond friend. "Where do you think you're going?"

Sanji looked at Usopp with an expression that said he thought that it was obvious. "To the kitchen," he answered as he shifted his weight and pushed himself to stand. "He's still hungry," he tilted his head toward Luffy, who had turned to watch him silently.

"Wha-a-at?" Usopp's jaw dropped for a moment at the blunt answer, and he abruptly shook his head. "Sanji, there are plenty of other people to make food for him. Granted, he doesn't have any money, but-" Breaking that train of thought, he took a step towards the bed, his voice carrying disbelief with underlying concern. "Your _leg's_ broken…"

Sanji shrugged, unconcerned. "So? I've been in here long enough today. Besides, someone's gotta check on Zeff-that idiot can barely run the restaurant when I'm not around."

"So?' Usopp poked the blond in the forehead, eyes narrowing. "Doesn't mean _you_ have to do it!"

Sanji rolled his eyes and shifted to move past Usopp. "If I lie in bed all the time I'll never get my strength back," he said, moving his right crutch forward so he could start to leave. It was a little awkward walking with one leg in a cast, even with the help of crutches, but he had gotten better at it over the weeks. By now he was almost as adept at walking on crutches as he had been walking normally.

"S-Sanji!" The curly-haired man gaped as he watched the injured chef calmly pass him. "Wait!"

Sanji made his way to the door but paused in the doorway, his back to the room. He didn't turn around, but he tilted his head slightly in Usopp's direction, the fall of blond hair on his left side hiding his expression from view. "I'll be fine, Usopp. I know you mean well, but I was getting bored in here anyway. But thank you." He paused, then tilted his head a bit more so a huge grin could be seen to form. "Besides, I had a great idea for a new recipe I wanna try out. I have to get ready for when I go full-time in the kitchen again... those shitheads've probably been practicing without me."

Usopp stared at his friend for a moment, disregarding Luffy's burning stare, a soft frown on his face. Then, turning towards the closet, he rummaged through the wall of clothes that hung on an assortment of coat hangers. "At least don't go out in that night gown. Carne and Pattie would never let you hear the end of it."

Finally emerging from the closet with a soft, white, fluffy robe, Usopp made his way over to Sanji and helped fit it onto the blonde's body and over his current attire.

Sanji looked down at himself, having forgotten he was just wearing a nightgown. The cast was too large to comfortably wear sleeping pants with, so ultimately the only choice he had was the plain open-bottomed sleepwear he had gotten from Zeff. Good thing Usopp noticed; he was right, Carne and Pattie would have teased him relentlessly for years. He paused for a moment after Usopp had helped him into the robe, then smiled at his friend and reached out to rest his hand on Usopp's shoulder, squeezing lightly. "I'll make you something too, don't worry. I know you were feeling jealous." His smile became a teasing smirk.

"Jealous? _Me?"_ Usopp tried to feign surprised and gave a pout of mock indignation. But his stomach suddenly gave a distinct, low growl and the darker man's cheeks flushed with mild embarrassment, his façade melting into a sheepish smile. "Actually…if you're up anyway, something to eat would be nice," he admitted.

Sanji laughed and, leaning against one crutch and balancing the other against his body, shifted his hand from Usopp's shoulder to noogie his head. "Dork," he answered, grinning, "you _know _I'll always make you food."

"Hey, hey, hey-!" Usopp playfully batted Sanji's fist as it messed up his hair, but he was mindful not to knock the man off balance. "Yeah, yeah, I know…I'll never starve as long as there isn't any girl around to sway your attention," he shot back with a teasing smile.

Sanji let his hand be pushed away, returning it to his crutch where he shifted his weight to balance with both again. "What can I say?" Sanji answered, smirking with amusement, "I'm a lover of fine beauty."

"Why, _thank you_, Sanji," responded Usopp with an exaggerated bow, grin still plastered on his face. "I couldn't be more flattered, really."

Sanji snorted and shook his head. "You're imagining things," he said, but he was grinning in amusement as he turned to leave. "Give me a bit," he called over his shoulder as he started to make his way down the hallway, "and I'll have something ready for you both." The sound of his crutch striking the floor and his cast sliding against the ground faded as he neared the main room, where the sounds of conversations and glasses clinking muffled it.

Sometime during the conversation, Luffy had set the plate to the side and stood, walking over to stand beside Usopp and stare after Sanji. "Hey," he said, turning to look at Usopp with an intently perplexed expression, "that man wore strange pants under his dress! Why would he do that if he couldn't even walk?"

"Strange…_pants_?" Blinking, Usopp turned to the boy and quirked an eyebrow. "You mean a cast? I mentioned earlier his leg was broken. Didn't you hear me?"

Luffy frowned, bringing one hand up to his chin and looking toward the ceiling thoughtfully. "Hmm... yep. You mentioned a broken leg," he said, nodding. He looked at Usopp intently again. "Is that what the pants are for? I've seen casts—they don't look like that. They're smaller and nicer and people write on them but then the person with the casts gets mad and anyway his cast-pants had a shoe!"

"That's 'cause it covers his foot, too," spoke Usopp in a somber tone, giving a knowing nod. "Zeff made sure it was that way so Sanji wouldn't go walking around on it anyway."

Luffy frowned thoughtfully. "Why'd he break his leg if he wanted to walk around, then? He should've just kept it unbroken in the first place!" He laughed, no malice in his voice or laughter, just simple amusement at Sanji's strange ways.

Taken aback by the blunt question, Usopp gave several, hard blinks at Luffy as he processed such an odd query. "He didn't do it on _purpose_!" he exclaimed at length, eyebrows raising. "It was-an accident…"

Luffy slowed his laughter and looked at Usopp oddly. "Are you sure? One time Ac—umm, a friend—he didn't wanna go to a really boring party-thing so he climbed up a tree and fell out, and when he was asked about it he said it was an accident." He paused, thoughtful. "I guess it sorta was, since he was only s'posed to sprain his wrist but then he broke it and then he wore a cast and I drew some fish and stuff on it and he yelled at me." He leaned toward Usopp conspiratorially, "Have you tried drawing on Sanji's cast? I bet he'd yell too—I guess cast-people don't like fishes on their arms."

Usopp was quiet at the idea. "I never thought of that," he spoke, a grin suddenly eating away his grave demeanor from before. "I should try it!" Laughing, he shook his head slightly. "Your friend sounds like a strange guy. What happened to Sanji wasn't anything like that, though..." He seemed to hesitate a moment, as if debating on elaborating.

Luffy blinked. "Ace isn't strange, he's just weird." He paused, then slammed one fist into his other hand, palm open. "Oh! Sanji tried to fly then and when he couldn't he kicked at the air a lot and then a cloud came over and lightning'd him and broke his leg!" He paused, then gasped and leaned toward Usopp. "_Amazing! _ He was hit with lightning and didn't die? So strong!"

"Yes! Sanji's _very_ strong, but-" Usopp stared at Luffy like he'd grown an extra head. "Where'd you get all that stuff about him flying and getting hit by lightning?"

Luffy looked at Usopp like that was a stupid question. "If he didn't fall off a tree he must've tried to fly," he said seriously, as if that were the only other answer.

"Sanji? Trying to _fly_?" The notion was nothing short of ridiculous, and Usopp would have laughed it weren't for the subject at hand. Instead, he softly frowned, apparently finding the floor more interesting than Luffy's curious face. "…actually, he broke his leg while saving _m-me_…"

"Ohhh," Luffy said, finally understanding. "So _you _tried to fly..."

"No! Stop jumping to conclusions!" snapped the curly-haired man, lightly shaking Luffy by the shoulders with exasperation. "I was _mugged_ by some bandits and then Sanji-he-"

"There were bandits in the clouds?" Luffy asked, confused. "So Sanji jumped through the clouds to save you."

"Will you just stop talking and _listen_ for a second?" Running a hand through his hair, Usopp lightly clenched his teeth in irritation. "Bandits came to town-and …and it was late. I was coming back to Baratie with some supplies I'd picked up at a store when I got attacked by them." Sitting down at the unmade bed, he looked down at his feet with a vague sense of guilt. "I don't know how, but Sanji suddenly showed up on the scene and…I don't remember the rest real well. There was an explosion - I think one of the bandits had some bombs - and then there was all this shrapnel flying through the air. Sanji shielded me, so _I_ was okay, but…" He trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

Luffy just watched Usopp silently, waiting to see if he was going to continue on his own, or if that was the end of the story.

Deciding to plunge onward with the tale, Usopp spoke again: "…he was hurt pretty bad. All this shrapnel and debris hit him." Clenching his fits in his lap, he was quiet for a few more moments. "Instead of backing down, though, he just _kept at it_ and continued fighting 'cause they weren't gonna leave us alone. I don't know how we managed to make it out alive..." Hastily wiping something from his eye, he took to shaking his head. "If he'd have backed off, he probably wouldn't have broken his leg like that. But he didn't. And now he's been like this for such a long time…all 'cause of me." He gazed ruefully at the empty plate Luffy had been eating from. "I'll be glad when that cast is off…"

Luffy found his hand unconsciously moving up to his straw hat, so he pulled the hat off and looked at it thoughtfully. "You let him fight for his goal, how is that something to feel bad about? In life, we find things that are precious to us, things we want to protect, and we will do anything for that goal. If you're someone precious to him, then just breaking his leg won't change anything. If he were to have stayed down, what would that say about his conviction or strength?"

He looked up at Usopp, expression calm and serious. "A person's true self can be measured in their dreams and how much they'll risk for them. He could be your friend by protecting you, and you were his friend by letting him show how much he was willing to risk. Maybe the cast make it hard for him to walk, but isn't it a badge of his honor, too? All who see him and know the story will say he's a good man. Maybe he's partly proud to need those crutches."

Stunned speechless, Usopp's eyes were firmly fastened onto Luffy by now. They were wide and almost brimming with moisture. "It wasn't fair for him to get hurt because of my weaknesses," he answered hoarsely after several silent moments.

Luffy shook his head slightly, but didn't break eye contact. His expression remained as calm and intent as before. "Weakness has nothing to do with physical strength or being unable to break free from captors. The truly weak ones in your story are the bandits, attacking innocents and setting off bombs. Don't underestimate the power of a person's conviction—Sanji getting hurt had nothing to do with a failing of yours and everything to do with his own absolute belief in his dreams and his wish to protect someone important. You shouldn't blame yourself for his actions. If you do, it's like you're saying you didn't expect him to care about you, and after he went to all that trouble to keep you safe and happy, if you're still hurt on the inside it makes it seem like he failed somehow. You should be strong yourself and see that what happened was Sanji's choice and Sanji's decision, and even if he got hurt, he got hurt for something important. That's not something to feel ashamed of. Even dying for your dream is an honor in itself, isn't it? It means you cared and had the strength to reach for it, and no one could fault you for your decision." He looked down at the hat again and continued, with a slightly softer voice, "A person could lose everything while reaching for a dream or protecting those important, and they would still be the winner in the end."

Roughly wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, Usopp managed a nod. "I just…feel like I've let him down somehow," he admitted softly. "That's why…I acted the way I did when I met you guys today. I thought you were bandits, and I wanted to show everyone what I was made of." Eyes widening lightly, he stared at Luffy. "Don't mention anything to Sanji, though. He'd be pretty upset if he found out."

Luffy smiled softly, slipping his hat back on his head and looking back up at Usopp. "You haven't let him down," he answered with complete confidence, "the fact that you tried on your own to attack bandits, even if we weren't them, means you were protecting him back." His smile slid to a brilliant grin so large he closed his eyes in the movement. "I won't tell Sanji but I bet he knows anyway, at least about you caring enough to try. You should stop worrying so much—things always turn out all right in the end." He laughed lightly, confident in the truth of his words.

"Sanji's always been a good friend to me," explained Usopp. "…I just wish he knew how much I appreciate it."

Luffy shrugged, not seeing why this part of the conversation was necessary. "So just tell him and then he'll know for sure, and you'll know he knows," he said, as if it were completely obvious.

Usopp laughed lightly, rubbing the back of his head. "…I…I guess so. It's kind of embarrassing, though. It might make Sanji uncomfortable." Shifting awkwardly in his seat, he stared outside. "I wonder if I should go in the kitchen and check on him."

Luffy blinked at Usopp, then burst out laughing and waved a hand at him. "You're so strange! You worry so much about everyone else then worry about how they'd feel knowing you cared enough to worry!" He continued laughing for a bit, finding Usopp to be hilarious. Soon, he was able to bring it back down to chuckles, though he was still grinning and his eyes were bright from laughter. "I think he'd probably be happy to know you cared. But more importantly! Food! Let's go!"

Usopp mustered a laugh, leading Luffy out of the room. "Right this way, right this way! It's the once-in-a-lifetime trip to the amazing Baratie kitchen! Don't push now, one at a time!"

Luffy was about to get excited about getting food when he realized what Usopp had said. He blinked, following Usopp at a fairly sedate pace and looking around in confusion. "Eh? But there's only one of me... How else can I go if not one at a time?"

"It's easy if you have a hat on," replied Usopp casually as the two ambled down the dimly lit hallway. "I once had a magical hat from a kingdom far away from here, and it let me split into thirty men!"

"Wha-?" Luffy put his hand unconsciously to his hat, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping. "Ooh, _really? _ _Thirty men? _ Were you all you or did you become different people too? Could you control all of you at once? Wow! You must've been _really _hungry!"

"Of _course_ I could control all of them." The curly-haired man waved his hands grandly about himself. "They don't call me The Great Captain Usopp for nothing! All thirty of me brought down a giant dragon within ten minutes!"

"Woww!" Luffy exclaimed, running up to walk next to Usopp. "And then what? And _then _what'd you do?" He hunched and bounced a bit in interested excitement, "Did the dragon have friends?"

"Yes!" Usopp promptly responded, a smug grin spreading across his face as the pair entered the bustling dining area. A couple of chefs pushed past them, apparently in a hurry to be prepared for the coming lunch hour. "That dragon had thirty friends!"

"_Thirty friends?" _Luffy yelled, astounded. "One for each of you! Did you beat all _them _too?" He couldn't believe how strong his new friend must be to have become thirty men who could kill _one _dragon, let alone _thirty! _ Luffy had never met a dragon, of course, but he had heard all about them in storybooks. They were supposed to be really powerful!

"Of course! Within ten minutes." Usopp grinned as he opened the door to the kitchen.

The long-nosed teen suddenly bumped into a strong, square chest as he was about to enter the next room. "Ten minutes?" came a gruff voice. "I hope you're talking about how long it'd take you to clean all of the toilets. 'Cause if you don't get back to work right now, that's exactly what you'll be doing."

Usopp visibly paled as he stared up at a burly chef, his hat towering far above his head, long mustache braided tightly. "Z-Zeff…"

Luffy peered over Usopp's shoulder up at the man, quiet a moment as he considered the new arrival. The man's blond moustache was impressive as it defied gravity, but even more impressive was his towering white chef's hat reaching toward the ceiling. Luffy stared up at the man for a moment before his eyes popped wide open and he pointed up at the hat, turning to Usopp with panicked excitement. "Ahh! Lookit _his _hat! How many men can _he _become, Usopp? _What if he thinks we're dragons?" _

Zeff peered down at the two, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the scrawny boy behind Usopp, but before he could say anything Sanji had appeared at his side. "Ah? Making so much noise already?" he asked casually, leaning on one crutch with one arm, while with his free arm he balanced one plate on his hand and another on his forearm. Both plates were steaming with freshly cooked food, looking and smelling as delicious as Usopp had promised it would be.

"Sanji!" Usopp sounded almost relieved, his posture perking up as if a huge burden had been lifted. He chose to ignore Luffy's barrage of questions, giving Zeff a brief, nervous glance. "We were coming to see if you needed any help, but it looks like you managed just fine."

Zeff merely crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "Seems odd you're cooking meals for these two and not for customers," he spoke pointedly to Sanji as he jerked a thumb to Usopp and Luffy.

"Does it, now?" Sanji replied calmly, not even glancing up at Zeff as he slowly made his way past him. "There're plenty of cooks working on the other orders right now, and Usopp's a worker on his lunch break. As for the other guy, he _is _a customer." Pausing just in front of Zeff, he looked over his shoulder up at the head chef. "So maybe you should get some facts before you start assuming things, old man."

Zeff snorted. "I overheard them talking earlier. This guy doesn't have any money."

"Aah, if what you say is true it's a shame I didn't realize that when I made the food." Sanji answered blandly, balancing as he reached for a new cigarette with the hand that had been on the crutch. Placing the cigarette in his mouth and lighting it, he dragged a breath in and, pulling the cigarette away, blew the smoke into the air. "Well. Now that it's made no need to waste it, hmm?" Placing the cigarette between his lips once more, he held onto the crutch again and started to move away, his other arm still balancing the two plates of food.

The mustached chef chose not to respond as Usopp rushed towards Sanji, mustering an uneasy smile. "O-oi, you'll drop one of the plates like that. Let me take them…"

Sanji glanced over at Usopp, looking at him seriously a moment before he smirked. "What, you don't trust me, now? I could balance these plates in the middle of an earthquake." Despite his words, however, he paused before they had left the dining room. "Besides, it's not up to the customer to hold his own food. Where do you wanna eat? Here, or in the room? I can carry the food however far we need."

"I'd feel kinda bad taking up space in the dining area," admitted Usopp, rubbing the back of his head. "We'll be pretty busy in a few minutes, I think, since we'll be opening for lunch. But I don't wanna make you hobble around so much. You get cranky like an old man." The last statement was uttered with a teasing edge.

Sanji laughed. "Yeah, well, no one gets crankier than that shitty old man back there. We'll be fine out here. If we need more room then you two can just move." Shifting his crutch, he moved toward an empty table, glancing at Usopp over his shoulder. "And anyway, who says I 'hobble'? I'm just as graceful with crutches as I am with anything."

Luffy, who had been trailing along behind the two, distracted by Zeff's giant hat and the food balanced on Sanji's arm, watched Sanji make his way to the table. "He's right y'know, Usopp," he said suddenly, obliviously, "I'd _never _be able to balance anything like he is, with or without crutches. Maybe you're just jealous." He started laughing, surprising Sanji who started laughing too, amused that Usopp's own teasing had been turned back on him from an unexpected source.

"Jealous? Phhhft." Usopp waved a hand, a gesture to dismiss the comment. "The Great Captain Usopp has _no_ reason to be jealous, my friend. Whereas Sanji possesses obvious grace, I have him beat in charm and wit."

Luffy continued to laugh. "Ahh, is that so?" he replied easily, grinning. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't realize."

Amused, Sanji just shook his head with a grin and placed the plates on the table. "If you say so, Usopp," he said, straightening and shifting a step back with his crutch. "Now take that charm and wit of yours and eat the food before it gets cold. I'm not reheating it up just so you can tell your newest tall tale."

"They're not tall tales," replied Usopp with mock indignation as he seated himself and promptly began to eat. "You just need to stretch your imagination more," he continued, his mouth partly full. He gestured for Sanji to sit down. "And why aren't you eating?"

Luffy jumped on the food the moment Usopp sat down, and he was well into his plateful when Usopp asked the question. Luffy, continuing to shovel the food into his mouth, stared between Usopp and Sanji.

Sanji watched the two calmly, smoke drifting around him as he dragged in and let out a breath. "I'll have to check for more orders, but if there's no need for me I'll be back. Besides, I only made food for both of you. Didn't I say earlier I wasn't hungry? I'll eat a little later."

Although he looked skeptical, Usopp gave a slow nod as he stuffed a bite of succulent shrimp into his mouth. He was startled, however, as the door abruptly slammed open.

"I can't _believe_ we just bought _my_ swords from that guy. I shouldn't have to pay a _single beli_ for something that's _mine_." Roronoa Zoro stomped into the room, his teeth gritting. One of his calloused hands rested upon the familiar swords that hung at his side.

"Oh, put a sock in it!" Nami was trailing close behind, her eyebrows furrowed with irritation. "You're the one who was so insistent on finding those stupid swords of yours. And you got them back, didn't you?"

"Yeah, and now I'm 10,000 beli in debt!"

"30,000 beli," corrected the orange-haired girl pointedly.

"_What_? But the swords were selling for 10,000!"

"I charge 300 percent interest," she grinned, giving the swordsman a wink. "You should be grateful I even bothered to loan you the money at all."

"_300 percent_-Out of all of the idiotic things I've ever heard-"

"Oh, hey Zoro!" Luffy called out cheerfully, raising a hand as he grinned around the food in his mouth. "You got your swords back!"

Sanji had looked over at the sudden noise, but at the sight of the two his eye widened and the cigarette dropped from his mouth. Staring at Nami, he nearly forgot to hold onto his crutch as he swooned, "Ahh! Who is this lovely vision—so full of strength and poise, as equal as her beauty?"

Faster than should have been possible he was already at her side and, gracefully with his free arm, he held his hand out to her. "Come, allow me to seat you and offer you the finest food Baratie has to offer. Anything your heart desires, simply tell me and I, Sanji, the Assistant Head Chef, will do my best to see it fulfilled. Ahh, if only I could offer more for such a beautiful woman, but this is all I can do...!" The last was murmured to himself, full of the sort of dramatic tragedy he only displayed when dealing with beautiful women.

Nami blinked at this strange man, eyebrows raising at his sudden attentions. But, recognizing a good advantage when it presents itself, the orange-haired girl gave a coy smile. "Actually, I'm rather thirsty," she admitted. "And a little hungry, too."

"Hey," growled Zoro. "You told me we were too strapped for cash when I wanted some food earlier."

"Ahh, anything you desire is yours!" Sanji replied, his eye shining as he leaned toward Nami almost desperately. "Even if you have no money, it's free for such a lovely woman!" Turning to look at Zoro out of the corner of his eye, his disposition changed dramatically as he growled, "But _you're _gonna have to pay. And stop growling around a lady—don't you even have any manners?"

"What?" snapped Zoro, eyes widening at the rude chef. "Why does she get free food? She's the one with all the money-"

"I'm still giving out loans, Zoro," cooed Nami, an impish grin overtaking her features.

"Those aren't loans." The swordsman folded his arms over his chest, scowling. "They're rip-offs."

"She gets free food because she's beautiful and a lady," Sanji replied coolly, ignoring their bickering as he lead Nami toward Luffy and Usopp.

Luffy, listening in and watching, stopped eating halfway through his plate and grinned as they stopped by the table. "Ohh, really? I'm not a lady but I must be pretty beautiful too then, huh?" he asked, thinking of how he just got two free plates of food, and there had to be _some _reason for it.

Sanji just stared at Luffy, not even knowing what to say to what he saw as such a random question.

"Are you kidding me? You're _gorgeous_," gushed Usopp playfully, a hand lightly combing through Luffy's bangs. "You'd look stunning in curls, if I do say so myself." He promptly busted into a fit of laughter, all seriousness in his face melting away.

"Hmm, curls?" Luffy asked curiously, trying to look up at his own hair. "But if Nami and Usopp and I all get food because we're pretty, why can't Zoro too? I think he looks just as pretty as us." He grinned hugely, knowing that Usopp had been kidding but still thinking that prettiness had something to do with their free meals.

"Pretty?" Zoro's lip curled, and he rolled his eyes. "I don't think that has anything to do with getting free meals if long-nose over there isn't paying anything."

Usopp seemed to take mild offense. "Hey. I'm devilishly handsome and you know it."

"Hmm?" Luffy asked, turning to eye Usopp. "But his hair is so curly," he replied, as if that was all that needed to be said.

"Hey! Stop talking about stupid things," Sanji said firmly, pulling a chair out for Nami and smiling at her as he continued, "She isn't paying because she's a lady, Marimo-head's gotta pay because he was rude to her and came in like a normal customer, Usopp doesn't pay since he works here, and you, Straw Hat," he turned to look at Luffy, "_you _didn't pay because you looked starved and had no money. However, from now on, I ain't giving you free meals. That second one was simply because I'm a generous guy, but generosity stops when it looks like we'll be taken advantage of." Straightening, he eyed the newcomers. "This is a restaurant, and we gotta make a living. You don't get everything for free."

"I'm starved and have no money," Zoro blandly stated, as if ignoring Sanji's small speech. "I should get free food."

Sanji tilted his head toward Zoro. "Weren't you listening to me, shithead? Besides, you don't look very starved to me." He looked him up and down, noting how calmly he stood and the strength in his posture. He didn't look nearly as weak as the kid with the straw hat had earlier. Besides, that was his own food he was giving away.

Luffy, meanwhile, grinned at Zoro. "Hey, Zoro! You can have the rest of mine if you want," he offered, pushing his plate toward his bodyguard. There was still half a plateful of delicious looking food steaming in the center of it.

"Take your food?" The green-haired man stubbornly eyed the plate, resisting the urge to allow his mouth to water. Lightly shaking his head, he looked away. "It wouldn't be right for me to take it from you," he growled under his breath, almost reluctantly.

Luffy raised his eyebrows, staring at Zoro. "Huh? Why? Here, come sit down and eat it. I already had some food earlier and it was really good, but not as good as this is! Sanji's the best cook ever!" He turned to look at Sanji with starry eyes, who grinned back in response.

"He cooked it?" Zoro jerked a thumb in Sanji's direction, frowning. "It could be poisoned or something."

Sanji glared at Zoro. "Did you just insult my food?" he growled, irritated. "I take the time to cook for your penniless friend over there and _this _is the thanks I get? Would you rather I let him starve?"

"What?" Luffy asked confusedly, almost overlapping with Sanji, "but it tastes really good. I don't think poison tastes like this and anyway, Sanji's a good guy." He grinned again, scooting the plate toward Zoro encouragingly.

Eyeing Sanji warily, Zoro sat down at the table and picked up a fork. "It's not that I'm not grateful," he growled, "I just don't have any reason to trust you."

Usopp blinked. "You act like you're fugitives on the run or something."

Sanji watched Zoro warily but didn't answer, thinking something along the lines of what Usopp said.

Luffy almost choked on the water he had just decided to drink. "What! Fugitives? We're not fugitives," he said, laughing a little though there was the slightest of strange edges to it. "We're just, umm, going to see a friend of mine." He grinned at Usopp, closing his eyes in the movement.

"A rich friend," added Nami with wide grin. "I can't wait to meet him."

"Who said you were gonna get to meet him?" growled Zoro.

"I said so, especially since I'm the ones taking you there," replied the woman briskly. "Honestly, Zoro, you shouldn't act so secretive."

"Yup…I think they're fugitives," Usopp muttered to Sanji.

"You shut up!" growled the swordsman, catching the curly-haired man's words. Usopp promptly squeaked and shielded his face with an empty plate.

"Really, though, Usopp," Luffy added, laughing, "do I look or act like a fugitive? We're gonna see my friend! I can't wait either, but not 'cause he's rich. I just haven't seen him in a long time." He smiled happily, his eyes sparkling excitedly at the thought of Shanks.

Sanji watched the three of them, his visible eye narrowed at their interactions. "Hmm," he said casually, "so why decide to see this friend of yours so suddenly, and with no money? Usopp's right, you're a pretty suspicious group when you get together."

"We had to leave in a hurry," grumbled Zoro, finishing up the last of the food. "And we've been on the move for awhile."

"But you're not fugitives," Usopp spoke slowly, eyeing the man's swords for a few moments.

"Exactly."

Nami smiled as she sipped some water. "And I have money. I'll have 30,000 beli as soon as Zoro coughs up."

"I don't owe you anything, except for maybe 10,000." Zoro leaned back in his chair. "And that's final."

Usopp pointed a finger at the two. "Oi, quit changing the subject."

Luffy watched Zoro, wondering why he didn't mention the bandits. Maybe they weren't supposed to say they'd been attacked? After all, why would the bandits have attacked them if Luffy wasn't who he was? But the first time they attacked them, it was his own fault... wandering right into their campfire circle and demanding money while Zoro was bleeding back by the horse. And Luffy had already told Usopp...

Looking down at the table, Luffy finally spoke up again, his tone more serious than usual. "Don't you remember, Usopp? I told you bandits attacked us on the way here and they stole everything we have. It's true we left in a hurry, but it was the bandits that made it so difficult for us. I guess we must seem suspicious, but I will tell you right now that Zoro and Nami are good people, and I can tell that you and Sanji are good people too. Does it really matter what happened in the past if we know that much about the present?" He looked up at Usopp, his dark eyes intense but sincere.

The curly-haired man stared at Luffy for a moment, blinking. "You're one of those 'here and now' guys, huh?" Giving an uneasy smile, he rubbed the back of his head. "I can understand that. Sorry for prying."

Luffy stared at Usopp with the same intensity for one long moment, as if considering something, before he suddenly grinned brightly, chuckling so cheerfully it was as if he didn't even have such a serious side. "No worries," he said, turning to smile at Sanji. "Thank you for the food, Sanji. It was really delicious and I'm glad Zoro doesn't have to be hungry anymore either."

Sanji made a soft dismissing noise, though he was smiling as he leaned against his crutch and reached for a new cigarette. In retrospect, he was a little annoyed he'd let the earlier one fall from his mouth so soon after he'd lit it. What a waste. Lighting a new cigarette and drawing a breath through it, he let the smoke curl from his lips and drift in the air. "Well, I _am _a cook, after all. It'd be embarrassing if my food was anything less than delicious, though I dunno if that guy actually deserves such a wonderful recipe," he said, tilting his head toward Zoro. Still, he was smirking and his tone seemed more of a light barb than anything.

Zoro snorted, opting not to comment to what he felt was an idiotic remark.

"Sanji, aren't you going to sit down?" Usopp's eyebrows were furrowed as he watched the blonde. "Do you need me to pull a chair out for you?"

Sanji turned to Usopp and shook his head. "I'm fine," he said, but he pulled out a chair and sat down anyway. May as well stop Usopp from worrying for awhile, and the crutch was beginning to annoy him. Carefully balancing the crutch against the chair, he leaned back and relaxed.

Luffy watched Sanji sit down, then turned to stare at Zoro. He wanted to make sure he ate the food and wasn't hungry anymore. Maybe they could convince Sanji to make them more food anyway if Zoro wasn't full. This having-no-money thing was really starting to get old... he wondered if there was some way to get money somewhere. It _was _pretty funny to think that he was a Crown Prince wandering around penniless, though.

Zoro had long finished what was left of Luffy's meal, his eyes staring down at the empty plate for a few moments. Then, his dark eyes looked up and met the prince's stare. "What is it?"

"Are you still hungry? Maybe we can find you some more somewhere..." He continued to watch Zoro, his tone somewhere between curious and concerned.

The swordsman lightly shook his head. "We don't have any money, so it doesn't really matter if I'm hungry or not," he stated simply.

"It still matters," Luffy insisted, leaning forward slightly. "If you're hungry, you're hungry. I didn't ask if we had money, I just asked if you wanted more."

Sanji watched the two, blowing out smoke calmly. Really, he didn't know why he'd bothered to sit down in the first place. He knew the green-haired man was still hungry and it was only a matter of time before the topic came up. He supposed he just didn't want to keep worrying Usopp like that... the guy was always pretty watchful of Sanji, but ever since Sanji had broken his leg, he'd been even more aware of everything Sanji did. It was like he was waiting for Sanji to fall over and die from such a little wound, but Sanji knew he wasn't acting that way to insult his strength or to doubt his recovery. He felt guilty; Sanji could see it in his eyes and the nervous movements in his body language. There was no reason for him to feel guilty, but Sanji didn't know how to make him stop short of continually showing Usopp that he was perfectly fine, that the only thing a broken leg gave him was a bad mood, a cast, a crutch... and maybe one more reason to avoid Zeff. Heh. That, at least, was something to be appreciative of. Reaching for his crutch, Sanji shifted his grip and pushed himself back up. He dragged a breath through his cigarette, letting his breath out in the form of smoke as he turned to leave.

"Sanji, where are you going?" called the curly-haired man, a soft frown creeping across his face. Zoro looked up at the cook as well, a mask of irritation clouding his face as he gazed at him.

Sanji didn't even bother pausing as he started to make his way slowly from the table. "The kitchen," he answered casually.

At the answer, Luffy looked at Sanji hopefully, but said nothing.

Usopp blinked, suddenly standing up. "You could get Carne or Pattie or someone to make that girl a meal," he suggested. "I mean…you just sat down! Wouldn't you rather be entertaining… entertaining uh…"

"Nami," spoke the orange-haired girl smoothly.

"Yes!" Giving a grateful nod to the girl, Usopp turned back to Sanji. "Yes, wouldn't you rather be entertaining Nami?"

Sanji turned around immediately, somehow managing to tilt with both hands at his heart and still balance on the single crutch he was using. "_Ye~s! _ Of _course _I'd rather spend my time with someone so beautiful and demure! Ahh, how could I choose anything different with such a beautiful smile awaiting me~?"

His love-filled grin and visible eye were replaced quickly with a serious expression, though. "But Pattie and Carne would _never _be able to get my Macedonia Surprise delicate enough for such a beauty," the love-sick expression returned momentarily as he looked at Nami, "and they _definitely_ wouldn't make anything for Marimo-head," he finished, tilting his head in Zoro's direction with his expression back to serious and calm. "So, I'll be back soon." He turned, preparing to leave again.

"What?" snapped Zoro, his eyes widening. "I don't need your sympathy, cook!"

Sanji turned, looking at Zoro like he was an idiot. "Who said anything about sympathy? I'm a cook; I feed the hungry. Whether or not you have money is of no concern to me, and I frankly don't care _how _you pay us back except that you do. But if you didn't want food, you shouldn't have come hungry into a restaurant."

Nami had been eyeing Sanji's cast for the past few moments, a soft frown on her face as she ignored Zoro's grumbled threats. "…What happened to your leg?" she asked suddenly.

Sanji looked down at his cast, startled at the sudden question. "Just a slight mishap with a wall," he answered casually, moving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "I miscalculated and here I am." He shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. And to him, it _wasn't_.

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" she asked doubtfully. Usopp, meanwhile, had taken to staring at his own boots, growing silent.

"Nami-san is so beautiful when she's concerned! She cares so much about a stranger!" Sanji couldn't help the slight outburst, smiling happily at her. She really _was _beautiful when concerned-honestly, how did a lout like that swordsman manage to get such a companion? The world worked in strange ways... "I'm fine, it doesn't even hurt. They only have it in a cast to keep me in bed, but you can see how well _that _tactic's been working."

He grinned, putting as much confidence and amusement into the comment as he could. He saw Usopp staring down out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't do anything about it; it would just draw attention to his friend's discomfort. And anyway, it was true... mostly. Initially, he really _did _need the cast, and it hurt like hell at first, but by now if anything it would only ache, and the cast was due to come off within a week or two. It was supposed to be that week, but he had a feeling Usopp or Zeff would say how much he'd been out of bed, and the doctor would insist on one more week to be certain. Still, within the month he could go back to his regular schedule. It was something to look forward to.

"Just as long as you don't hurt yourself," said Nami at length. "That wouldn't do at all."

"He can do whatever he wants," stated Zoro, turning his head away from the cook.

"_You_ should be grateful he's even bothering with you at all," snapped Nami. "Because _I_ certainly wasn't going to!" Zoro gave the woman a surly look, but he gave no reply.

Sanji beamed at Nami, turning the happy smile into a slight smirk as he glanced at Zoro right before he shifted and started toward the kitchen again.

Luffy watched Sanji leave, his expression blank. Turning away, he looked at Usopp, then Zoro. The mood seemed a little strange to him, with Zoro being too irritated to seem grateful, Nami being irritated at Zoro, and Usopp seeming downtrodden. Luffy tilted his head, then turned back to Usopp. "Hey, Usopp! Where can we get money in this town?"

"Money?" Usopp looked over at the teen, blinking lightly. "I guess you could find a job if you needed to…"

"Or steal something," chirped Nami. "But I really don't think that'd be in your best interest."

Luffy looked at Nami, startled, his expression odd and caught, before he turned back to Usopp. The glance at Nami was so brief it almost could not have existed. "What kinds of jobs are there?" he asked curiously. He'd never had a job before... he wondered how hard they'd be.

"I dunno. I'm sure they'd need help at the market place," mused Usopp aloud, lightly rubbing his chin. "Then again, maybe you could work here."

"Ohh?" Working around food could be exciting! "Really? What would I do? How long does it take? Do we get money right away?"

"You could probably wait on tables or do dishes or clean toilets or something," said Usopp. "That's pretty much what I do."

"Hmm..." It didn't sound all that fun, but if they didn't get any money soon... Luffy looked over at Zoro, wondering what he thought. They were supposed to be getting to Shanks' quickly, but how could they do that if they kept running into trouble because they had no money? Luffy really _was _a 'here and now' guy like Usopp had said, but at the same time, having no money almost got Zoro killed in Syrup Village, and could have let them starve in Baratie if Sanji wasn't there to help. Luffy firmly believed it would all work out in the end, and even if they had no money here some would just come along sometime in the future, but if there was a chance he wondered if they should take it.

Zoro had taken to yawning, his head resting itself onto the wooden table. His eyes were partially open, and he didn't seem to be paying much attention to the conversation.

Luffy frowned then turned back to Usopp once again. "Where do you sleep? In that one room with Sanji? Do you know where we can stay too...?"

"Umm...good question." Usopp rubbed the back of his head. "I guess you guys can't stay in a hotel if you don't have any money."

"We have a tent," muttered Zoro nonchalantly.

"Correction - you mean I have a tent. If you think I'd share sleeping quarters with a couple of men, you're out of your mind."

The swordsman's eyebrows shot up and he glared at the orange-haired girl. "Excuse me? Last time I checked, that tent belonged to _me_."

"Not anymore since you need me to get to wherever it is you're going _and_ you owe me 30,000 beli."

"You're going to hang that over my head until the day I die, aren't you?" hissed Zoro, eyes narrowed.

"Or until you pay back the debt," added Nami in a sing-song voice, becoming rather interested in her nails as she spoke.

Luffy looked at Nami, surprised. "But Nami, he owes you beli, not a tent, right?" He paused, then blinked as something occurred to him. "So, wait! You own _everything _now? Does that mean you own our _clothes_ too?" Luffy sounded startled and alarmed, as if she would suddenly demand they run around naked in the heat.

Nami almost snorted into her water. "Don't be ridiculous! Why would I want your clothes?" Grinning, she stirred the ice around with her straw. "I'll let you keep them...for now anyway."

Jerking a thumb towards the girl, Usopp gave a wary glance at the group. "Remind me not to play poker with her."

Luffy was staring at Nami with wide eyes. "Yeah, she's scary," Luffy replied, unnerved.

Sanji appeared behind Usopp, several plates of food balanced on two large trays on his free arm. "I'm back with food for the beautiful Nami-san!" he cried happily, his approach surprisingly quiet considering he was hobbling around with a crutch.

Setting one tray on the table, he kept the other tray and made his way over behind Nami, leaning in and setting it down. He picked up an exquisitely created fruit dish and placed it in front of her, smiling at her over her shoulder as he balanced against her chair and poured her some wine with his other hand.

"I have created the best of the best for you, with the freshest ingredients we had in the kitchen," he murmured smoothly then glanced up at the others and continued in a more flat tone, "The rest's for all of you-but leave a plate for me, got it?" Although Nami's tray of food was obviously prepared with more flair, the rest of the food looked equally as delicious and was prepared with as much care. Resting on the second tray there were three large plates of food, a few smaller plates, and several empty plates in case anyone wanted to share.

Zoro's eyes lightly bulged at the sight of so much fine cuisine, his nose lightly twitching as the rich aromas floating through the air around them. "_You_ made all this?"

Usopp laughed, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Sanji's the greatest cook you'll ever meet!" he excitedly told them. "But," he turned to the blonde, giving him a mildly concerned look, "when are you gonna sit down and actually eat something?"

Sanji ignored the two at first and instead watched the wine glass, making sure he didn't overfill it. After a moment he straightened with another lovestruck smile Nami's way. "If you need anything else, just ask!" he swooned, reaching for his crutch and dropping down into his chair, leaning back and relaxing for a moment. He glanced at Usopp, then reached for a plate and began to select food for himself. Eyeing Zoro, he said with slight irritation, "Well, don't just _stare _at it."

Luffy was staring at the food himself, his eyes wide and his mouth drooling. He looked at Zoro quickly, but couldn't stop himself from reaching out and grabbing some for himself. He was already exclaiming, "This tastes _great!" _as he made his way through his plateful of meat.

"Hey, hey!" growled Zoro. "That's mine!" But he didn't make any move to steal his claim from Luffy, instead opting to swipe as much food as he could for himself. "Don't be so greedy!"

Nami only laughed as she sipped her beverage, sending a soft smile Sanji's direction. "You have fine taste in wine," she said with a smile.

Sanji beamed at Nami, blushing lightly at the comment. "Only the best for you, Nami-sa~n!"

Luffy looked at Zoro with his mouth full of food. "But you were being so slow!" he cried, managing to shove more food in his mouth until his cheeks ballooned out slightly. Swallowing it all at once, he peered at Zoro as he continued to eat the rest on his plate.

"No, I wasn't!" growled Zoro, spooning hefty amounts of pasta onto his plate in order to make up for lost time. Usopp only watched them, slowly eating his own food as his eyes regarded them with fascination and curiosity.

"Yes you were!" Luffy protested, grabbing the food on his plate and shoving it all in his mouth at once. Again, he barely chewed before he swallowed it all in one gulp. "You were staring at it all for at _least_ ten secondsbefore you reached for any!" Though from anyone else that would be sarcasm, Luffy was serious.

Usopp only shook his head as he continued to eat. "If you guys _do_ stay with us, it'll be really interesting," he said aloud.

"Oh, can we?" Luffy asked immediately, hopefully, rounding on Usopp.

Sanji looked up from his own food, which he was eating more sedately. "Stay with us..?"

Usopp blinked, turning to the chef. "Yeah, they were thinking about applying for a job here," he spoke with a nod.

Sanji eyed the Luffy's quick movements as he jerked more food his way. "A job? All of them?" Judging by the rate at which Luffy could make food disappear, he wondered if there would even be anything left for the customers if he ended up as a waiter.

"Yep!" Luffy answered, grinning cheerfully as he finally stopped stealing food from the trays. "Well, I dunno about Nami... Or Zoro, really." He blinked, looking at the two curiously.

Zoro gritted his teeth as he took to spooning some peas onto his plate. "I dunno. I might look to see if there are any bounties in the area."

Sanji raised an eyebrow. "In Baratie? You'll probably find plenty right now. We usually have a fair amount of pirates and renegades running around since we're the largest port town anywhere nearby, and it's the best place to stop for supplies before or after crossing the desert. After the bandits came, though, there've been even more. Trust that type of people to wait until a city's down before they come to leech off other attacks." The last was said slightly bitterly and annoyed.

Luffy had looked up immediately at the mention of Baratie, and had turned to peer excitedly around the room. "Wow! All those people in here _right now?" _

"All those-_what_?" Sanji asked, staring at Luffy in confusion.

"You said there're lots of pirates in Baratie!" Luffy didn't _see _anyone that looked like a pirate, though. They all looked like normal boring people. How disappointing.

"No, Baratie _town,_" Sanji said, gesturing with his hand toward the city beyond the restaurant's main doors.

"Yeah, that's another thing," Luffy turned to look at Sanji with a strangely serious expression, "I've been meaning to ask-why'd you name the restaurant after the town? Doesn't that get confusing?"

Sanji chuckled, shaking his head. "The restaurant's not named after the town, the _town's _named after the _restaurant_." Seeing Luffy's bewildered expression, he leaned forward and continued. "Zeff built this restaurant years ago, when there was nothing but the river here to save people from the desert. When he realized that almost certain death awaited anyone who tried to cross that desert without proper supplies or protection, he made plans for a moving restaurant that could roam the sand dunes... to save people from starvation."

He paused, his expression darkening slightly before he shrugged and leaned back. "Eventually, he realized this was the best place, though-between the river and the desert, where those who have been at either place for any length of time need supplies, and where providing food for people was the most needed. The location worked well; so well, in fact, that a town quickly grew around it. So now there's Baratie the town, and Baratie the restaurant."

Luffy stared at him, wide-eyed. "Wow," he murmured, impressed.

Usopp nodded vigorously as he emptied his plate. "Baratie is the best place to eat for miles around! People have come from all the way across the country to eat here." He laughed, finishing the last of his water. "Why, I'll bet Gold Roger's been here before!"

"Gold Roger is dead," spoke Zoro blandly.

"True, but his spirit lives on," spoke Usopp sagely, giving a knowing nod. "And I'm sure his spirit would love a place like this."

Luffy stared at Usopp with huge eyes, completely captivated. "Gold Roger?" he whispered reverently. He leaned forward, his voice getting louder with excitement. "_Really? _ I bet he'd like it here too! A place between all the adventures, with lots of food and lots of people..." He trailed off, looking around the restaurant with shining eyes.

Usopp nodded with great enthusiasm, a thumb pointing to his own chest. "I'll bet I've met him here at least 20 times," he boasted.

Luffy nearly fell out of his chair as he threw himself at Usopp, reaching out to grab his arms in excitement. "_What! Really? _ When? What'd you do? What'd he say? Was it his ghost_-_wait!-_is he alive?" _

Usopp laughed, making vague attempts at swatting Luffy away, but he seemed to be enjoying the barrage of questions. "He always sits..." Dramatically, Usopp pointed his index finger towards a table in the far corner of the dining area. "...right there." Grinning widely, he looked down at Luffy's shining eyes. "I doubt he's alive, though. They say it's his ghost, coming to check on the happenings of his pirate kingdom."

Luffy stared at the table Usopp had pointed to, his eyes wide and slightly glazed over as he got lost in his own world. Gold Roger... his ghost, sitting _right there, _across the room. Luffy tried to imagine what he would do if Gold Roger appeared there right then as he stared. He'd go meet him, of course, that was a given. But what would he do? What would he say..? He had no words to express his admiration for Gold Roger, for all he stood for and all he'd done.

Ever since Luffy had been a boy, he'd been captivated by the stories. It didn't matter to him _who _told the tales, but he'd come to love Ace's and Shanks' renditions the most. Shanks especially told stories about Gold Roger so vividly that Luffy felt like he'd been there, _right there, _at Gold Roger's side, sailing the oceans of the world freely, turning the ship in whatever direction he chose and just _going. _ What could he say to someone like that?

How could Luffy ever tell him how much he meant to him, how much his stories had inspired him and had shaped his dreams for the far future? ...There _were _no words, really. If Gold Roger's ghost appeared right there... maybe Luffy would just walk over, and sit by him, and let the reverence and admiration in his heart speak for itself.

Sanji watched the interaction, narrowing his eyes slightly when Luffy stared dreamily at the table Usopp had probably randomly picked. Why the kid believed Usopp in the first place was beyond him, but what Sanji found to be even more surprising was how excited he was about it. There weren't many who cared about Gold Roger anymore, and of those who cared, Sanji couldn't remember _ever _seeing or hearing about someone being so reverent about it. What sort of person felt that way anymore? He shifted his gaze to watch Zoro and Nami, trying to figure out who these people really were.

Zoro's dark gaze met Sanji's stare in silence, eyebrows lightly furrowing as if to say, _What do you want?_

Sanji glanced at Luffy once, pointedly, then looked back at Zoro with his eyebrow raised slightly, as if saying, _What's with him? _

Zoro smirked, lightly shaking his head as he leaned back in his chair. "Luffy wants to be the Pirate King," he simply said.

Sanji would have spit out his drink if he had been sipping his wine at the time instead of just reaching for it like he was. Instead, he nearly choked on his own saliva. "_What?_" he said incredulously, looking at the scrawny guy with the floppy straw hat, "_Him?" _

Zoro nodded, a serious expression on his face. "Hard to believe, but he's very insistent he'll make it someday."

Sanji stared at Luffy. Stranger things had happened, he supposed, but it still seemed like an extremely odd goal for someone like him. Then again, it was an odd goal for anyone anymore as far as Sanji was concerned.

Luffy, meanwhile, had slowly blinked back to the present. Noticing Sanji's stare, he blinked and grinned. "The food was great!" he said cheerfully, thinking maybe Sanji was expecting more feedback.

Sanji just shook his head to himself, looking away. Whatever. If he wanted to go for that with his life, he could. Turning to Zoro, he smirked slightly. "And you? What's _your _goal, then, if you have the future Pirate King as your travel companion?"

"Greatest swordsman," grunted Zoro, a hand falling to the blades that hung at his side. "...and make sure this guy doesn't die along the way." He motioned towards Luffy.

Luffy grinned brilliantly at Zoro, saying with complete confidence, "Yep! He's gonna be the strongest too! As the Pirate King, I'd be in trouble with anything less." He laughed cheerfully, leaning back in his chair.

Sanji smirked at Luffy, amused. "You'd be in trouble as the Pirate King if you died on the way, too. Guess that's why you need a swordsman at your side, hmm? Though most people I've heard of going for that title seem to think they're strong enough on their own..."

Luffy just grinned and shook his head. "That's because they're too stupid to know when they need help," he answered cheerfully, smiling a little wider when Sanji just chuckled.

Nami eyed her ragged, stolen robes with disdain. "I need to buy new clothes," she announced to no one in particular.

Luffy perked up, turning to her with excitement. "Hey, are you going into town? Let's go explore!"

The navigator nodded lightly, but her eyebrows furrowed. "Stick with me then, okay? And don't you dare go picking up things in the market like they're yours to play with."

Zoro's eyes snapped towards Nami, a suspicious frown crossing his face. "How do you know about that?" he demanded.

Blinking lightly in surprise, the orange-haired girl stared at the swordsman. Then, taking upon an air of complete innocence, she blinked. "Know what?"

Luffy looked between the two, rather startled. It certainly _seemed _like she was referring to the market incident in Syrup, but he didn't remember seeing her there, and if she had been there then did that mean she knew Zoro and him from before? If so, why didn't she say? Was it even possible she somehow knew who he really was...? No, there's no way she'd know, right? He looked at Zoro briefly then jumped up from the table with a grin. "Let's go! I really wanna see the town and I bet there's _lots _of places Gold Roger was."

Sanji watched them calmly, but his eyes narrowed at the interaction. What was that comment of Nami-san's about? And what was with that shithead's response...? As much as the group insisted they weren't fugitives, they certainly had enough strange quirks to make that seem unlikely.

Slamming his hand on the table suddenly, Zoro growled, "You know what I mean!" But Nami only waved a feminine hand at him in blatant dismissal, serving to make the swordsman even more irritated.

"Don't get up in a wad about it," she spoke in an exasperated tone. "You can't _possibly_ try to convince me that he _wouldn't_ go picking up things as if they were his." She jerked her thumb at Luffy, as if looking at his face would prove her point. "Anyway, I don't have time to argue with you." She stood from her chair, brushing some orange bangs from her face. "I need a new outfit."

"U-um, I won't pick anything up," Luffy said, staring at Zoro with wide eyes. "I just wanna look around and it's okay if I say with Nami, right?"

"No, it's not okay," hissed Zoro. "You can't possibly tell me she won't try and jip you out of your money." He jerked a calloused thumb at her face. Taking the hint that she was being mocked, Nami folded her arms and glared at the swordsman.

Luffy blinked, not really certain what was happening. He couldn't tell if Zoro was angry with him too, or if he was just mad at Nami, or _what. _ "But... where will you be? Are you going somewhere too?"

"Me?" asked Zoro.

"Yeah," Luffy said, tilting his head. "You staying here or you going into town?"

"I was gonna take a nap," replied the bodyguard before giving the navigator a pointed glare. "But if you're going with _her_, I have no choice but to go with you guys."

Luffy looked between the two, frowning slightly in confusion. "She's not so bad, Zoro, really!" But he didn't bother putting much effort into convincing him; Zoro probably had some reason to feel that way. He trailed off briefly, looking outside to the town that seemed to be inviting him to explore. He supposed Zoro didn't care about going around since he'd already been around before when Luffy was stuck in Baratie. He turned back to his bodyguard, smiling. "We can all go out together and if she's being okay you can come back and if not I can leave early with you and you can sleep. Does that work?"

"Fine, whatever." The swordsman made to stand, but his eyes seemed heavy and his face was slightly haggard.

"You sure?" asked Nami. "You haven't slept hardly at all on the way here. You kept worrying I'd pull a fast one on you."

Luffy frowned at him, moving next to him and putting out a hand as if to steady him. "C'mon Zoro, just go to sleep. I won't be gone long and Nami'll be there with me." He paused, and added so softly that only he would hear, "Who cares about money? I can pay her back and more later. Don't worry about it. I'll come right to you the minute I'm back, too."

Pausing, Zoro stared into Luffy's eyes seriously, his own gaze somewhat glazed with the tolls of keeping a constantly vigilant charge over the prince. "You promise?"

Luffy nodded, staring back completely seriously. "I absolutely promise," he answered, reaching out and placing his hand on Zoro's shoulder, squeezing lightly. "I won't be gone long. I just wanna look around. Go to sleep-I just need to know where you'll be so I know where to go when I come back."

Having witnessed the conversation unfold, Usopp turned to Sanji. "He could nap in our room for a little bit, couldn't he?"

Sanji glanced over at Usopp then turned to eye the two seriously. He was quiet a moment, then shifted forward and shrugged. "Fine with me, as long as that idiot leaves things alone and doesn't destroy our room." He looked at Zoro with a hard expression. "You either take Usopp's cot, or you sleep on top of my covers and don't touch _anything, _got it?"

Zoro stared at the chef with an irritated gleam in his eye. "What, afraid I have lice?"

"Something like that," he said, irritated as well. He didn't exactly like lending out his room in the first place, but he was willing to do it. Somehow, though, the idea of that guy messing up his bed annoyed him. He'd probably get the covers all dirty and would ruin the perfect indentation in the mattress that had built over the years. He turned toward Luffy, who was smiling at him cheerfully despite the argument happening. "There's a spare bedroom next door to our room. I'll have it prepared while you're out. Marimo-head can move over there when you guys get back. I don't wanna have to deal with him all _night _too..."

"Sounds great, thanks!" Luffy said cheerfully, happy to have it figured out. That way he and Zoro also had a place to stay the night, since it seemed like Nami already had other plans and he really didn't want to sleep in the tent.

Snorting, Zoro got up to leave. "Don't worry, I won't ruin your precious belongings," he spoke casually before ambling his way out of the dining area and towards the back.

Usopp immediately shot up from his chair. "Don't go wandering around when you don't know where you're going!" he called after him, perplexed at Zoro's fiercely independent nature. Within moments, he, too, disappeared into the back as he chased after Zoro.

Nami, on the other hand, gave Sanji a quizzical look. "Well, I'm not sharing a room with those two," she stated sweetly, although her voice had a firm tinge to it. "I could probably get myself a hotel room or something… I know of a guy who runs a nice place that might let me stay for a discount."

"You can stay with _me~!" _Sanji said immediately, leaning toward her with his one visible eye sparkling happily. "I'll even share my bed with you~!"

"Thanks, but no thanks," said the orange-haired girl as she turned to leave.

"Wha-_Wait!" _ Sanji reached for his crutch and pushed himself up, holding one hand out to her. "Don't go, Nami-san! You can have the room all to yourself, those guys'll just stay with us. Just wait a moment, I'll go tell them." He was already moving as fast as he could down the hall after Usopp and Zoro, calling out to them.

Luffy blinked after the cook, staring down the hallway. He didn't really care, as long as he had a place to stay. Sanji and Usopp's room was nice; he was fine with it. That Sanji sure was strange sometimes, though...

Watching him leave, Nami gave an amused grin. "I get to stay for free!" she exclaimed happily. "That has to be at _least_ a 200 beli savings!"

Luffy cocked his head toward Nami curiously. "So does that mean the money goes off Zoro's tab? Or can we use that money toward something fun in town?" He smiled brightly.

"Maybe something fun," replied Nami. "Like a new outfit. But Zoro's tab stays the way it is until he pays me back."

Luffy turned to her completely, blinking and placing one hand on his hat out of habit. "Really? A new outfit? Weren't you already getting one?"

The girl eyed Luffy for a moment, her dark eyes scanning his unsavory apparel. "Well, you can never have too many clothes," she stated firmly. "And looks like you're in need of some newer clothes. We can't have a rich kid like you running around in rags like that."

"What!" Luffy said, startled, "Why would I be rich? I'm just, I'm going to see my friend..." He stared at her, wide-eyed, his other hand unconsciously splaying against his stomach at the thought of his clothes. They really _were _pretty grimy by then, she was right about that much... But why did she keep making the comments that made it seem like she knew who he was? It was a little unnerving. He didn't even know how to interpret it.

Shaking her head, Nami grabbed his arm. "I know you're really not _that_ clueless." She lightly tugged him along. "C'mon."

Luffy stared at her, wide-eyed, starting to walk along with her. "Wait, do we need to wait for Sanji?" He looked back toward the hallway, a little confused. He was beginning to see why Zoro didn't want him alone with her. She was kind of scary.

"Why are we waiting for Sanji?" she asked, perplexed.

"I dunno," he said, getting even more confused. "Didn't he say to wait?" What the hell was going on here? He shook his head, not wanting to care about any of it. "Nevermind. Let's go!" He grinned at her, suddenly striding toward the door. "I wanna look around! Hey, do you already know good places to go? You were in town with Zoro earlier... Is there anything really cool we can see?" He looked at her hopefully, excited.

"Sure, I know my way around Baratie all right," said Nami with confidence. However, a sly smile appeared on her face. "I'll be glad to serve as your tour guide," she continued, an arm slipping around Luffy's shoulders. "At a price, of course…" Her chatter died as the pair exited the restaurant.

Luffy gave her a strange look at the comment of a price but otherwise just grinned and nodded, unperturbed. They soon disappeared into the crowd on the streets of Baratie, moments before Sanji hobbled back excitedly, calling out for her. When he saw Nami was gone, he looked highly disappointed. Looking around, he also noticed the other guy was gone too. Hmm. Shrugging, he sat down to eat for awhile before the noon rush could arrive. It was a long day he had ahead of him, and he needed to be ready for it. Not being able to think from hunger was not exactly high on his to do list...


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

His skin clammy with a cold sweat, Roronoa Zoro abruptly startled awake. The swordsman's eyes had to readjust themselves to the dim lighting of the room; the curtains had been loosely drawn across the small windows and the wooden door was tightly shut. Pulse still racing, Zoro slowly sat up and eased his body against the crumpled pillows that he'd been sleeping with.

The robe he'd stolen from the bandits had been tossed onto the floor long ago, revealing Zoro's bandaged torso. Unfortunately, the dressings had continued to peel throughout their journey, and the green-haired man knew he was not going to get much more use out of them. Zoro supposed that they were starting to become a hindrance and an unnecessary distraction. So, sitting up completely with his broad legs tucked beneath him, the swordsman began to slowly unwind his bloodied bandages.

The room was silent save the sound of the bandages scratching softly against each other as he unwound them, but that didn't last for long. There was an abrupt sound on the other side of the door, like something had lightly hit it. The knob wiggled then turned, and Luffy slowly peered around the side.

Pausing suddenly, Zoro looked up from his unwrapping just in time to see Luffy's curious, almost expectant gaze stare through the darkness. "Hey," he said hoarsely after a moment.

"Hey," Luffy replied, smiling brilliantly and slipping into the room. He had a bag that he shifted to his other hand as he closed the door behind him. "You're up! I thought for sureyou'd still be asleep... What're you doing?" He padded closer, tilting his head curiously. His dark hair shifted at the movement, the ends brushing with a light sound against his hat resting at the back of his neck, held on by the string.

"Unwrapping my bandages," he replied simply, his dark eyes shifting to the task at hand.

Luffy set the bag down as he neared the bed, pausing at the side to stare down at the growing pile of bloody bandages. He remained silent, his gaze traveling up the bandages to Zoro's slowly revealed bare chest. He hadn't thought of it before, but he'd never seen Zoro without a shirt or bandages on. It wasn't even something that would normally occur to him, except...

He knelt down, one hand reaching out without him even thinking of it, his fingertips brushing against Zoro's upper chest where a deep scar was slowly being revealed. He traced the scar lightly, studying it. It looked like it had been agonizingly painful once, and maybe it still was, he didn't know. Zoro didn't walk around like his torso hurt a lot, though, so it must be fine. He couldn't tell, but he suspected it must be fairly long... it seemed like each inch that was revealed of his chest revealed more of the scar. Luffy pressed his hand a little stronger against the scar, shifting so his palm rested against it, his fingers brushing the swordsman's collarbone. He just watched his hand, feeling Zoro's heartbeat reverberate lightly through his lower palm. After a breath of silence he looked up at Zoro's face, his eyes dark and intense, slightly questioning, but his expression overall was simply calm and open. He was curious, but he wasn't demanding answers with his gaze; he was just watching him, as if studying his expression was enough.

Zoro watched him for a moment, eyebrows rising as his muscles lightly tensed. The last of the bandages fell on top of the sheets, revealing a long, dark scar that reached from his shoulder, across his chest and toward his hip.

Luffy blinked slowly, shifting his gaze back down to the scar. He studied it a moment, shifting his hand to lightly trace the entire length of it. His hand paused at the end, spread across the side of Zoro's stomach, a gentle pressure. He stayed silent a moment, just looking at the scar with an expression that gave nothing away of his thoughts, other than the fact that he was not disgusted or uncomfortable.

"What are you doing?" asked Zoro after a moment, his voice carrying an uneasy edge.

Luffy blinked, looking back up at Zoro but not moving his hand. He smiled lightly, his eyes dark but somehow soft. "I didn't know this was here," he answered simply, as if that explained everything.

The bodyguard shifted uncomfortably, his eyes flickering down to the scar. "Got it from a sword fight," he said at length.

Luffy looked back down at the scar, lightly tracing it again, back and forth, from end to end. "Must've been a huge fight," he said softly, as if thinking aloud. Nothing in his demeanor demanded Zoro to say more on the subject; if anything, he seemed content to let the story stop there, or to listen if Zoro wanted to continue.

"Yeah," he muttered lowly, eyes narrowing. "It's from the last fight I'll ever lose."

Luffy was quiet in response, looking up at his bodyguard's expression. "I can't imagine you ever losing, Zoro," he said softly but with complete confidence, smiling at him. "You'll always be strong, stronger than anyone. If you lost once, your opponent must've been incredible."

The green-haired man slowly nodded. "Hawk Eyes Mihawk," he said after a small silence.

"Hawk Eyes?" Luffy's eyes widened, his eyebrows rising in impressed surprised. "You've met him before." It was more a comment than a question, though he hadn't realized Zoro had ever met him in person. He remembered his name from their conversation in the desert, but he'd just assumed the meeting hadn't happened yet.

Zoro's gaze lightly averted. "Yeah…not long before I met you."

Luffy nodded, shifting a little after he noticed the growing pressure on his knees. He didn't really know what to say; Zoro seemed somber, but not evasive. He couldn't tell if he really wanted to talk about this or not. After a moment of silence, he dropped his hand to the mattress and pushed himself up, moving to sit next to Zoro on the bed. Luffy leaned against his bodyguard's side, tilting his head to rest against his shoulder. He still couldn't really think of anything to say that made sense, so he stayed quiet a little longer to see if Zoro wanted to talk about it more, or if he wanted to move on.

"I promised myself I wouldn't lose to anyone else," Zoro elaborated, falling silent afterwards as if that were enough of an explanation.

Luffy nodded against Zoro's shoulder. "You won't," he said, grinning confidently. "I know it."

"Yeah." He was quiet for several moments, his eyes falling to a partial close. "You were gone for awhile," he said at length.

Luffy's grin shifted to one more of excitement as he pulled away, leaning over the edge of the bed to reach for the bag. "Yeah! We went looking for clothes and Nami made me try on lots of stuff while she tried on stuff too, 'cause she said I couldn't keep wearing what I was, and then we got this!" He tugged the bag closer, almost knocking it over and spilling its contents. Making a noise of slight annoyance, he finally hopped off the bed and crouched near it, pulling out some items that he set on the ground. Standing, he reached for his robe and started to undress. "Wait'll you see!"

Raising an eyebrow, Zoro blinked as Luffy began to shed his clothes. But he wasn't particularly bothered by it as much as he was perplexed at how uninhibited the prince truly was.

Not paying attention, Luffy crouched and picked up the clothes, pulling on some knee-length blue shorts with white tufts at the end, and a long sleeveless red button-down shirt that bordered on being a vest. When he bent over, there was a flash of darkness on his lower back, but he had already stood and pulled the shirt over his head before anything could clearly be seen. It was probably just a shadow, anyway. He reached into the bag again and pulled out some simple brown sandals with three black loops, and slipped them on. Picking his hat off the ground, he placed it on his head and held it down with one hand, turning to grin brilliantly at Zoro. "Isn't it _great?" _he asked happily, closing his eyes in mirth, "I don't look like a Prince at _all! _ And it's really comfortable and it won't look stupid if I stretch a lot now." He laughed delightedly, completely pleased with his new clothing.

Zoro watched the prince in vague amusement, a lightly smirk displaying itself across his face. "You don't act like a prince, so that'll help you blend in just fine."

Luffy's grin remained, though it strengthened a little; he looked almost proud at the comment. "Right! It's the best disguise, then." He opened his eyes, looking his bodyguard up and down. "Umm. When we were looking around, I tried to find stuff for you too. But I dunno what your size is, except you're bigger than me. So I got you some stuff too if you want." He reached down, pulling out a smaller package from within his bag. Walking back over to the bed, he held it out with a smile. "I'm not sure what Nami's doing about money with me, but I don't think she knew I was getting this for you so it probably won't cost you more."

Blinking, Zoro reached out and took the bundle. "Uh…thanks…"

Luffy looked at him expectantly. "Your clothes were really falling apart too," he belatedly explained. "...What're you waitin' for? You should open it!" He wanted to see what Zoro thought, and if it all fit him. If he didn't wear any of the clothes Luffy got him, it would be fine too. It didn't really matter to Luffy; he just wanted to see his expression. Especially for the two fun things he got!

Looking down at the neatly wrapped package, the swordsman wasted no time in ripping apart the paper that held it together. As the shreds of wrapping drifted on top of the dried, crusted bandages, a nicely folded outfit was revealed.

On his lap rested a white shirt, dark pants, a green haramaki and a black bandana.

The man was silent for several moments. No one had ever bought him anything like this before, and he was clumsily trying to recall what to say when someone extended such a courtesy. "Uh…thanks…" Seemed to be the only phrase that came to mind.

Luffy grinned, pleased. "You should try it on!" He paused, dropping down onto the bed beside Zoro, watching him with amiable dark eyes. "I was just gonna get the shirt, but then I saw the pants and they felt really nice. You said you don't really get cold, but maybe you will. The lady said they're good in hot _and _cold weather."

He shrugged then pointed to the bandana. "Since we're supposed to be hiding, maybe sometime you'd wanna cover up your hair or something, so I got that. I've never seen anyone with your shade of hair." He smiled, since he liked the color. But it could still make people recognize him. His gaze shifted toward the haramaki, just staring at it at first. It was a moment before he spoke, and when he did, his voice was a little softer. "Our stomach holds the energy for life and health... and you're gonna have to fight a lot."

He paused, reaching out to lightly touch the haramaki. "When I saw this, I remembered what one of my martial arts teachers told me once. Our stomach's where true power is created, and for him, he focused on it to center his body and mind. He said it helped him in fights."

He looked back up at Zoro, his gaze more serious now, slightly more intense but mostly just sincere. "If you wear this, maybe it'll keep you warm _and _protect your energy. ...I keep getting in trouble when I try to help, but I thought if I gave you this I'd always be helping, even if I wasn't in the battle." He paused briefly, the smile returning. "It even has a loop for your swords on the side, if you want."

Having already slipped the shirt over his broad shoulders, Zoro held up the haramaki. "My energy, huh?" he spoke aloud before pulling that on as well. "I'll remember that." He shifted somewhat awkwardly as he adjusted it and looked at Luffy. "Thanks…"

Luffy's smile widened, amusement and happiness intermingling. "Before, you didn't have the haramaki. Now you'll be even stronger," he said confidently, leaning back and watching him. He shrugged, realizing belatedly that he had never said anything back to Zoro's thank you's. "And no worries. What're friends for?" he asked rhetorically, though it made him think. They were definitely friends... well, he thought they were anyway. But part of the reason the haramaki was even necessary was because of what else Zoro was. He paused, adding with sincerity, "Thanks for being my bodyguard, Zoro."

Falling into a short silence, Zoro lightly shrugged, his eyes finding the bedside lamp very interesting. "It's nothing," he said. "Someone's gotta do it 'till Ace comes back…"

Luffy nodded, though his smile fell a bit as he thought about that. He was really looking forward to seeing Ace again, but he had no idea where he was. Back in the desert, he had been hoping that Zoro would stay around for a long time, but technically he had only signed up to bring Luffy to Shanks. Zoro had said he'd be the world's greatest swordsman at the side of the Pirate King, but that would be years and years in the future before Luffy would get the chance to go to sea.

His smile fell completely and he lapsed into silence, his expression almost somber. Looking down at the bed sheets, he wondered idly how long it would be between Zoro leaving at Shanks' and Ace reappearing, or how much time would pass after Zoro left to become the world's greatest swordsman that Luffy could set out to sea and contact him to join his crew. It would be years, probably. While he was stuck in Anchor, learning how to be a proper King. The thought was not exactly appealing.

Sensing Luffy's shift in mood, the green-haired man turned to the prince. "Something wrong?"

Luffy looked up, shaking his head slightly. He didn't know why he even bothered thinking about that stuff. It would all work out, everything always did. "Just thinking," he said, smiling again and looking away. "Are you feeling better? You were really tired before..."

"Yeah," muttered Zoro, his arms folding over his chest. "I've slept better, but it was okay…"

"Oh." Luffy dropped onto his back on the bed, putting his hands behind his head and staring idly at the ceiling, bending his knees and rocking his legs back and forth slowly. "Too bad we don't have a musician. We could sing songs and dance all night..." He raised his head just enough to peer down his chest at Zoro. "Do you like to sing and dance?"

Zoro snorted. "Not really. I usually just sit back and drink at parties." He leaned back as well, eyes drifting to a partial close.

"You should dance around more, I bet you'd like it," came the confident reply. Luffy dropped his head back down to his hands, grinning up at the ceiling. "I tried to learn how to play some instruments once, but I accidentally broke them. The court musician said I had absolutely no skill in me." He chuckled softly, remembering how purple the man's face had turned when he saw the wrecked room.

Turning lightly onto his side, the swordsman's eyes grew heavier until they were completely shut. "Mm…you'd be the type to break a bunch of delicate instruments," he drawled.

"Yeah..." Luffy chuckled, still idly rocking his legs. After a few extended moments of silence, he abruptly sat up, leaning forward to watch Zoro. "Hey... Zoro? You awake?" He spoke quietly, so he wouldn't wake him if he had fallen asleep.

"Mm..." Zoro lightly yawned. "Maybe..."

"Hmm..." Luffy watched him thoughtfully, studying his expression at first then dropping his gaze to trail over Zoro's back.

The new white shirt covered him, the fabric a little tighter across Zoro's torso than Luffy had expected it to be when he bought it. But beneath the clothing Luffy now knew there was a deep scar across his chest. He idly wondered how many scars Zoro had that remained hidden, beneath bandages or bravado or clothing. Reaching a hand out to gently rest on his bodyguard's upper arm, he thought about how many times Zoro had been hurt since Luffy knew him. There was the bomb... and the blood on his back that Luffy had mistaken for sweat. And then the marketplace, and the lashings...

His hand unconsciously tightened briefly at the thought, though it wasn't a strong enough grip to be painful. He had told Usopp earlier to just tell Sanji what he felt, and though Luffy often told Zoro exactly what he was thinking, he wondered if he actually _knew. _

"Zoro," he said, raising his voice a little but still keeping it below his normal speaking volume. He waited instead of continuing on, just to make sure he had Zoro's attention and he was awake enough to respond.

The swordsman stirred lightly beneath Luffy's touch. "Yeah?"

"Your scars... on your back," Luffy answered, not moving his hand, "Can I see them?"

Zoro was quiet for a few moments, his head lightly turning toward Luffy. "Why?"

Luffy's eyes were dark and unreadable, watching him intently. "I wanna see them." His voice was calm, honest but undemanding. He looked and sounded like he didn't plan to give the topic up easily but he would not force anything. He didn't really know how to explain why yet; he just knew he wanted to see his back and maybe then the words would come.

Watching him, the swordsman tried to act nonchalant about the request. "Sure," he replied at length. "I don't mind."

Nodding, Luffy finally slid his hand from Zoro's arm and tugged lightly at his new shirt, trying to pull it free from the haramaki. It did not work very well; the shirt _did_ come free from the haramaki with a bit of effort but then Zoro's own body weight pinned it to the mattress on one side. Luffy frowned, looking up from his attempts to focus instead on Zoro's eyes. "...It's too hard like this," he said simply, resting one hand on Zoro's side near his ribcage and letting the other drop to the mattress. "Can you move or sit up or something?"

Repressing a sigh, the man silently sat up, head lightly bowed with a grim expression.

Either ignoring Zoro's expression or not noticing it, Luffy waited until he was resettled before he touched his shirt again, pulling it up to around his shoulders and holding it there with his left hand. The haramaki covered Zoro's lower back, but Luffy could still see the extent of the wounds. While the scar on his chest was surprising with the length and obvious depth of it, the ones on back were more surprising for their number and how fresh they were. All over there were long, deep cuts that looked raw to the touch, with many of the wounds covered with scabs. With his free hand he lightly ran his fingers over the wounds and scars, being sure not to put enough pressure to hurt Zoro more but needing to actually feel them, as if to verify their existence.

It was like a map he could follow of their time together. Near Zoro's upper shoulders was the wound from the bomb's explosion back at Anchor, faded more than the others but still looking painful. Below and around that crisscrossed dozens of gashes and scabs, remnants of the lashings from Syrup Village. The cuts overlapped, but Luffy knew if he could count them there would be fifty. Maybe even more if they had changed the punishment after Luffy had left.

Pressing his palm gently against the center of Zoro's back with his fingers spread out in a fan, he wondered whether it would have been better or worse to have been there watching as Zoro was whipped. Maybe he would have thought about this all earlier if he'd seen it, actually _seen it _with his own two eyes. But then, he should have understood a long time ago, when he was first taught the lesson. Some things took time to fully make sense, he supposed, but that didn't make him stop wishing there were far fewer scabs and gashes caught like a wasteland beneath his fingers.

"I talked to Usopp earlier," Luffy said finally, his voice soft and casual but almost pensive. "Sanji broke his leg protecting Usopp, did you know that? Usopp felt really bad about it... like he thought Sanji should hate him for it. Hate him for having to be protected." He trailed off briefly, his voice fading into silence as he stared at his hand against Zoro's back. His own hands still bore remnants from the fire, especially on the outside of his right hand, where he had punched the glass free of the frame to get them out of the clinic. But those scabs seemed dim and pathetic compared to the ones that same hand was pressed against.

Zoro lightly shifted as Luffy touched his back, gritting his teeth somewhat as he gave a small hiss. He was quiet for several moments, as he remained where he was. "Really," he said. "I thought he broke it 'cause he was clumsy."

Luffy smiled to himself, amused, but noticed the hiss and lightened the pressure even more with his palm. He couldn't bring himself to actually move his hand away completely, so he hoped that would be enough. "Maybe," he said, shrugging with one shoulder. "I wasn't there so I don't know. I guess there can be clumsy saviors too." He paused, his gaze caught on a particularly painful-looking gash above his splayed fingers. "I told Usopp not to worry about it."

Making himself look away from the wounds, he finally pulled his hand away from his back but continued to hold the shirt up. He leaned forward, being very careful to arch enough to not actually touch Zoro's back as he rested his forehead on the upper back of Zoro's left shoulder. "...It must've hurt a lot when I hugged you earlier," he said quietly, dropping his free hand to the mattress to support his weight so he wouldn't accidentally fall forward. "Back in the desert, when I was showing you the stars. Did it hurt?"

"Some," said Zoro truthfully, shifting again as Luffy leaned forward. "But I didn't mind it much."

Luffy nodded against him, not moving from his position. It was a little awkward to still hold the shirt up, but he didn't want to cover the wounds yet for some reason, so he ignored the strange angle of his arm. He was quiet, thinking of many things at once but being unable to exactly point out any of them. He felt like he had at once a lot to say and nothing to say at all, and took a moment to try to sort through his thoughts.

"I read a story once," he said finally, "about a kingdom where the prince had a whipping boy. Every time the prince did something wrong or got in trouble, his friend was hurt instead of him. They said it was to teach him manners, and to remind him that his actions had consequences for the peasants. I didn't really get it at the time... I'm not even sure I fully do now. But I think I understand it more."

He smiled slightly, bemused. "The prince was a jerk, though, he just kept doing things that got his friend hurt. You'd think he'd stop after seeing his friend hurt so much, but he didn't. That was the part that confused me. I started to think they weren't friends and maybe that's why he did it anyway, maybe he just didn't care."

He drew in a deep breath, shifting so his cheek rested against Zoro instead of his forehead, staring blankly at the room around them. When he spoke again, there was far more weight to his words, something that needed to be said but almost hurt to think about. Part of him hated to remember that time, but another part of him knew he was who he was now because of it. "Someone..."

Somehow he couldn't say his name, not right away. Stupid, he thought, but he continued anyway. "Someone once told me about the differences in Adventures. He said there are some things people do because they want to, and other things they're forced into. He... told me I shouldn't go on adventures that would needlessly risk lives without giving the people a chance to decide first. If they decided to risk their lives, it was their choice. But forcing them into it was wrong. I guess I thought I understood, but I didn't. Not until now."

He smiled to himself again, the expression humorless and somber. "Now I wonder if that prince just didn't understand either."

"Maybe…" Zoro's eyes closed as he felt Luffy's warmth press against him. "A lot of people have power…but most people wind up abusing it." He was quiet a moment before he continued. "You don't seem like the type who'd misuse your position."

Luffy shrugged. "Sometimes you can misuse it without meaning to. I guess the more power you have, the more people have to keep you alive."

The swordsman turned his head toward Luffy again, silently watching him and saying nothing.

He watched him back, smiling and adding lightly, "Or the more they want you dead, I guess." Luffy leaned back and carefully pulled Zoro's shirt down again, making sure he held the fabric away from his skin until it was time to gently let go. "I just wanted to say... I think I get the difference now. I'm sorry you had to get hurt before I understood, but it won't happen again. Not now that I know what he meant."

Zoro adjusted his shirt before lightly rubbing the back of his head. "That's in the past now," he stated simply. A chill spread across his back, Luffy's previous warmth having pulled away. "Don't worry about it…besides, I did that because I wanted to."

Luffy's smile brightened at the comment, and he looked relieved. "Good! Otherwise maybe you would've regretted those marks for the rest of your life, and I wouldn't like that." He tilted his head slightly, curious. "Do you want me to get something now that the bandages are off? I can put some cream on your back or something... I bet Usopp has some."

"What for?" he asked.

Luffy shrugged, looking confused. "I dunno. To make it heal faster or not hurt or something? I can try kissing it better too but like I said before, that's no cure." At the last part he grinned teasingly, wondering if Zoro had even heard him back when they were first fleeing the castle and he offered to do the same for his hurt back then.

Zoro's lips pressed into a thin line and his cheeks took on a red hue. "Maybe you'd better get the cream," he said gruffly.

Laughing, Luffy nodded and hopped off the bed, forgetting for a moment that he was wearing new clothes and wondering why the ground felt so different. Looking down at his sandals, he smiled, pleased. They were so comfortable he had even forgotten he'd been wearing them. "I'll be right back," he said over his shoulder as he wandered toward the door.

Watching him leave, Zoro stared through the darkness of the room. He briefly thought of going over and pulling the curtains open, but opted to turn on the lamp instead.

After several minutes, Luffy returned with a bottle in hand. He was laughing as he came in, and still couldn't stop chuckling as he shut the door behind him and approached the bed. "Hi Zoro!" he greeted cheerfully, as if he had been gone for longer than a relatively brief period of time. Stopping at the edge of the bed, he shifted the bottle to both hands and smiled down at him. "I found some."

Zoro nodded, straightening some as he shed his shirt and tossed it onto the table. Then, he eyed the bottle for a moment, as if wary.

Luffy dropped onto the side of the bed, gesturing at the haramaki. "You'd better take that off too," he said a bit absently as he turned his attention to the bottle and opening it. He ran over what Usopp had told him about the salve inside, idly shaking the container a bit not because he was told to but just because it seemed like the right thing to do.

"You're gonna put it on?" Zoro asked after a moment.

Glancing up, Luffy looked at him rather oddly. "Yeah... Why, shouldn't I?"

"Just wondering…" He slipped off the haramaki, placing it on top of the shirt.

"Oh." Turning his attention back to the bottle, Luffy squeezed some out onto his hand and stared thoughtfully at the cream then looked up at Zoro again. "It might sting a little at first, I'm not sure. But it's supposed to help heal it and make the pain go away so that's good." He reached for Zoro but stopped first so he could ask, "Ready?"

"Yeah."

He leaned forward, placing his hand gently against Zoro's back and smearing the cream around his shoulder area first. He tried to press hard enough to make sure the ointment made it into the cuts while at the same time not putting enough pressure on it to be painful. "You were gonna put it on yourself?" he asked curiously as he paused to pour more cream into his palm, "How would you even do that?"

Hissing softly under his breath, Zoro's back lightly arched as Luffy rubbed at the wounds. "Wouldn't be a problem for _you_," he muttered in a strained voice.

Deciding it would probably hurt Zoro no matter what he did, he continued using the same pressure. "Yeah," he chuckled, "but not for _you. _ I wasn't putting anything on my back... You would've had to pour it on the bed and roll around in it or something."

What was meant to be a casual comment became more when he imagined Zoro doing just that. The mental image proved to be too much and he had to briefly pull his hand away to avoid jostling the wounds as he found himself blinking then laughing abruptly. It would be like that lady's dog when it rolled around in the grass! He wondered if Zoro would make the little growling noises the dog made too... The thought just made him laugh even more.

Zoro didn't understand what was so amusing, and he shifted uncomfortably. For a moment, he was tempted to smack the prince upside the head in an attempt to bring him to his senses. He ultimately decided against it, however.

Forcing himself to stop, Luffy managed to rein his amusement in to mere chuckles. "Sorry, sorry," he murmured, the laughter still in his voice making him sound anything but repentant, "It's just... have you ever seen a dog do that?" He poured more cream onto his hand and continued, starting where he'd abruptly left off. "It's so funny! They twist all around on their back and scoot around and make these funny little noises, and their legs are all splayed up at weird angles. You don't know what the hell they're doing but they look hilarious doing it." He chuckled, trying to focus only on the memory of the dog and not on the thought of Zoro putting cream on his back that way.

Slightly unnerved, Zoro chose not to respond as Luffy's hands roamed across his tight muscles. Instead, his eyes settled upon the shirt and haramaki that the prince had brought to him, a soft smile appearing on his face in spite of himself.

Luffy didn't know how much cream he was supposed to be putting on, so he decided to err on the side of generosity. It took another two times of pouring more cream into his palm, but by the time he reached Zoro's lower back, his fingers brushing the waistband of his pants, he decided he had done a very thorough job. Good! Now it could all heal faster. Leaning back, Luffy looked curiously down at his palms, holding his hands up to peer closer. "Huh. Can you feel that too? My hands feel all tingly..."

"Yeah, it feels weird," admitted the swordsman. He looked back at Luffy, traces of the subtle expression still on his face.

Thinking Zoro's expression was because of the cream, Luffy grinned at him brightly, closing his eyes in the movement. "Guess that means it's working, huh?" He laughed lightly, pleased.

"Maybe." Turning away after a few seconds, he settled onto his side in silence.

"No, it does," Luffy insisted optimistically, closing the bottle and setting it in his lap. "Who knows how long it'll take? You could even feel better by tomorrow night!"

"Maybe," he repeated again as he reached out to turn off the lamp. The light promptly died, leaving the pair bathed in darkness.

Luffy blinked down at him as best he could with the sudden lack of light. "You're sleeping now?" he asked unnecessarily as he leaned toward where he remembered the nightstand to be and set the bottle down. Returning to a sitting position, he looked thoughtfully in the general direction of his bodyguard.

"Dunno," Zoro responded truthfully. "But the light was bothering me."

"Oh." A pause then, because Luffy really didn't know what to say back to that. Why would the light be bothering him? He must be tired. Hmm... Not knowing what to do, he continued to sit on the edge of the bed and stare at him.

"I can turn it on if you'd rather."

Luffy shook his head. "Nah, it's not that. Just... what do you do in the dark? You're probably gonna sleep." He didn't really care if Zoro slept or not, he was just surprised at the light being turned off without the intent to immediately go to bed.

"People do plenty of things in the dark," stated Zoro.

"Like what?" Luffy asked, thinking Zoro was bluffing. There wasn't much to do when you couldn't even see what was happening around you.

"Like think."

Luffy frowned, shifting so he could lie down on the bed beside Zoro, his head at Zoro's feet and vice versa. Putting his hands behind his head, he stared at what would have been the ceiling if it weren't for the darkness. "I guess," he conceded, though he didn't sound convinced, "but what's there to think about?"

"All sorts of things." Zoro's bare foot lightly nudged Luffy's head as he spoke, as if the answer were obvious. The gesture was still a friendly one, though.

Luffy chuckled lightly, playfully pushing back at Zoro's foot. "You're just avoiding the questions 'cause you don't have a real answer."

"I'm not avoiding your questions."

"But you don't have a real answer," he insisted, though truthfully he didn't mind. Darkness probably worked well for deep thinking; he just didn't really have anything to think all that deeply about that he couldn't think about in the light too.

"'Thinking' is an answer," Zoro responded, foot lightly pushing against Luffy's head once more.

"You never said what about." Luffy smiled into darkness, though, amused by Zoro's semi-playfulness.

"And I said people think about all sorts of things. Like what they're gonna do tomorrow or something good that happened that day, I guess." He paused as he gave an amused smirk. "But maybe you wouldn't know since you don't seem to think that often."

Luffy laughed. "Hey, shut up!" He shoved at Zoro's foot, "I do _too _think a lot! I just don't see what's so special about thinking in the dark... Except it seems more comforting, I guess."

"People do other things in the dark, too, but…" Zoro shrugged. "Thinking is what I do most other than sleeping."

"Hmm." Luffy paused, chuckling softly. "I usually just run into things in the dark."

"Why's your head down there?" asked the swordsman after a moment of silence.

Blinking at the question, Luffy shrugged. "I dunno. It was just how I turned when I went to lie down. So I don't accidentally hit your back with my elbow or something." He paused, thinking about it. Actually, he would be more likely to kick him on accident. Pushing himself up to a sitting position, he shifted until he could drop back down near Zoro, their heads in the same direction. "This work?"

Turning to face Luffy, Zoro lightly shrugged. "Yeah, it works fine."

"'Kay," Luffy answered with a smile in his voice, "Good." He stretched, enjoying the light burn in his muscles. His hands didn't feel strange anymore; instead, they almost felt a little bit numb. It was a pleasant feeling, though, which he assumed was mirrored in Zoro's back. He idly stared into the darkness, deciding to try to do what Zoro said and let his mind drift as he just... thought.

Zoro's gaze had fallen onto Luffy's face as he watched the prince's peaceful, distant expression. It looked as if he was purposely trying to think, which vaguely amused the green-haired man.

Nothing was really coming to mind, so Luffy continued to wait. Anything that passed his mind was either something amusing that had happened at one point, or something he really didn't feel like thinking about. It wasn't long, though, until he found himself thinking of the sky and the sea. Fixating on that, Luffy smiled softly to himself, the expression serene and composed compared to his usual bright and almost excessively cheerful grins.

He relaxed unconsciously, picturing the movement of the waves and the slow journey of the clouds across the sky. He was so intent on the endless blue that he didn't even notice Zoro had ever turned to look at him.

Continuing to observe him, Zoro felt more relaxed when he saw Luffy's content smile. The prince's eyes in particular reflected the drifting thoughts within, and Zoro's own eyes couldn't help but watch them. He opened his mouth to comment, but decided against it.

Unconsciously, Luffy let out a soft, content sigh. He continued to smile peacefully, though he finally felt the weight of Zoro's gaze. Tilting his head to return the stare, his expression remained as relaxed and content as before but the smile brightened a fraction. He thought of saying something but didn't really feel like it, deciding instead to just watch his bodyguard for a while.

Taken in by Luffy's genuinely laid-back gaze, Zoro continued to watch the prince in silence. He barely felt a draft that had entered the room.

The longer the silence stretched, the less words seemed necessary. Luffy continued to smile at him, feeling content and calm and generally pleased with the world. He was an optimistic person by nature, having long ago decided that everything would eventually work out well in the end. But he didn't often feel so... connected, maybe, with the world. He didn't really know how to explain it, but the feeling was there and it made his heartbeat slow and his muscles relax, and it made the smile on his face never want to leave. A surge of affection for Zoro welled within him for getting him to this point; enough that he wanted to show it somehow. His eyes softened and he reached over, placing a hand gently on his bodyguard's upper arm, scooting forward so he could lightly hug him with one arm and rest his forehead against Zoro's. He had no plans beyond that point so he just stayed there a moment, his affection silent but very sincere.

Rather taken aback, Zoro almost choked on his own saliva as he fought back the instinct to push the other man away. He knew that Luffy meant well, that he was being friendly and open…and Zoro didn't want to put the progress they'd made with one another in jeopardy. So he silently remained within Luffy's warm, secure grasp, the prince's breath tickling the swordsman's face.

Luffy's content smile turned into a grin when he saw the internal struggle in Zoro's eyes. He suddenly remembered Zoro's words from back in the desert the morning they realized Luffy had eaten that fruit_. '...I don't let people get this close to me... so... it's only natural that I wouldn't be used to it.' _He wondered what it would be like, being so unused to people being that close that he would jump every time Luffy made a sudden move. Luffy was too used to being close to people to be able to comprehend how it would feel to not be. The grin remained, nothing but openness and amusement as he pulled his arm back, shifting to move back to his side. He was intending to show his thanks, which had probably already gotten across; there was no need to stress Zoro out in the process.

As soon as Luffy pulled away, Zoro's body immediately felt cold. He lightly reached out for the prince, but stopped short of actually touching him. Instead, he wrapped his arms around himself before letting his eyes drift to a close.

Gaze caught by the movement of his arms, Luffy watched Zoro for a moment before inwardly shrugging and shifting forward again. This time he stayed just far enough away that most of him wasn't touching Zoro, but he let one arm rest across Zoro's side. That way, if Zoro didn't want him near it would be easy to turn away, but if he _did _want him there it would be easy to either pull him forward or let him stay where he was. Luffy didn't really mind which was chosen; he intended to comply with whatever Zoro seemed to want.

Feeling the light touch, Zoro's lip quirked into an uneasy smile. But he chose not to pull away, although he didn't immediately reach out and pull the prince closer to himself, either. Instead, he continued to rest as he was, his breathing becoming deeper and slower as the minutes drifted by.

Luffy grinned to himself, amused. If he was going to have to learn to think in the dark, Zoro was going to have to learn to be all right with Luffy's presence so near in the dark too. It was a trade-off of sorts. He yawned, shifting his free arm up to curl his hand near his chin, his arm relaxing even more against Zoro's side. With his eyes closed, he found himself thinking of the sea and sky again and, smiling, he slowly drifted off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Baratie was a famous restaurant at any part of its hours, with the evening being no exception. Still, there were peak hours where it seemed the building would collapse from the lack of space, and other times when quite suddenly there was almost no one around and the cooks and employees could breathe a welcome sigh of relief.

Zoro's 'nap' had apparently become an early bedtime as far as Usopp and Sanji could tell, as the swordsman had not been seen since he disappeared down the hall and Luffy and Nami went to town. Time passed in waves of customers, and soon enough the two returned, Luffy's arms overflowing with packages and Nami's eyes containing a particularly satisfied sheen.

Sanji had seen them from across the room and tried to call out to her, but they were down the hall before he had the chance, and the noise level was too high at the time for her to have likely heard, anyway. When neither appeared immediately, Sanji forgot about them and focused on the tasks to be done in the kitchen and dining area. Just as the crowd was thinning out again, there was a minor incident where two customers at tables near each other got into an argument that ended in a pitcher of water being dropped on the floor, where one of the cooks running out with food slipped and nearly lost everything.

The cook's quick reflexes miraculously saved the food, but the spill still had to be taken care of and Sanji was not in the mood. He started make his way toward the janitorial closet, irritated at the mess. Normally he didn't care about that sort of thing, but the men had been fighting over something stupid in the first place: which of them was stronger, and why. In Sanji's opinion, if they wanted that answer so badly, they should just fight and figure it out, the idiots.

As he hobbled toward the door, he overheard one of the customers in the corner making some snide remark about the service in the restaurant and how they couldn't even properly clean a spill quickly. Sanji glared in the man's direction, but wasn't in the mood to add another crisis to the already hectic day, so he ignored him otherwise and continued on his way. He made a note of the man in his mind, though, so he could watch for any further trouble or attitude from the man. He seemed like the rich, pampered type, who expected everyone to fall to his charms simply due to the power of the money apparent behind his manners. Sanji took note of the pink hair and mediocrely-expensive suit, and the glint of metal on the man's hand.

The chef's thoughts were disturbed when Usopp stepped in front of him and swung the janitorial closet open. "Ignore him," muttered the curly-haired fellow. "You know Zeff hates it when you beat customers up."

Sanji made a light noise of disgust, glancing sidelong at Usopp with his one visible eye. "What do I care what that old geezer thinks?" he asked a bit crankily, but he made no move to reprimand the man. He paused, giving Usopp a Look. "I can mop, you know."

Usopp regarded him with a startled gaze for a split moment before he smiled. "Ah, but I am the mopping champion," he said pompously, pulling a mop from the array of brooms, buckets and towels.

Sanji snorted and shook his head, but there was a smirk tugging at the side of his lips. "Yes," he said dryly, "You probably hold the title for knocking over the bucket and creating more of a mess than we started with. Congratulations, Champion." The smile had reached his eye, though, causing a teasing twinkle that softened his words.

"It's a clever ruse to confuse my opponents," stated Usopp, his eyes meeting Sanji's, a smile lighting up his face.

Sanji did laugh, then, and reached out to ruffle Usopp's hair. "Sure it is. Be careful of the guy in blue, he looks half-drunk and about to slip in the water even sitting down." He glanced around the room distractedly as he spoke the warning, eyeing the customer base as he calculated what they could start to do to prepare for closing down for the night. They were nearing the last few hours, when Sanji liked to get a head start so they didn't have to stay around cleaning for long after the doors were locked.

Pausing, Usopp peered over Sanji's shoulder in order to get a good look. "Fullbody," he muttered. "Don't tell me you've never seen him around here before."

Sanji shrugged noncommittally, turning his attention back to the pink-haired jerk. "Not sure. There are so many assholes in the world, how am I to keep track?" The question was wry, though now that he thought about it the guy _did _seem a little familiar... He had probably seen him once or twice around town and not paid any attention.

Usopp managed a nervous sort of laugh before he edged around Sanji and began to clean up the puddle of water that had spread across the wooden floor. He made sure not to make eye contact with Fullbody, focusing upon his task a little too intently.

Sanji noticed Usopp's slightly strange behavior, but didn't have much time to think about it as someone across the room looked around for help. He glanced briefly at his friend, but was soon crossing the room as quickly as he could to see what was needed. He'd just ask Usopp later what the nervousness was about. Maybe he just felt uncomfortable mopping after Sanji had been teasing him about spilling, which Usopp honestly rarely did.

Pattie, however, intercepted the chef before he could reach his destination. "Oi! Sanji!" he bellowed.

"What?" Sanji called back, only slightly slowing his pace. Did the man have no concept of bad timing?

The burly man stepped in front of Sanji's path. "What do you think you're running here, a charity inn?"

Sanji narrowed his eyes, meeting Pattie's glare without a flinch. "The hell? I'm trying to work here, Pattie! Get out of my way!"

"And _I'm_ trying to make sure you're not putting Baratie to ruin!" Pattie thumped a meaty finger into Sanji's chest. "You're letting people lodge here for free, aren't you?"

Sanji caught Pattie's hand and pushed it away, though he was careful not to do anything that would damage him. A cook's life was in the health of his hands, and there was no petty fight that would make him forget that. "What makes you think that?" he said instead, his voice surprisingly calm considering how belligerent he had just been. "Do you even have any proof of what you're accusing, or did you just _assume _I'd be stupid enough to do that? Really, Pattie, just because _you'd_ do something doesn't mean I would."

"What, then those 'friends' of yours are paying money to stay here?" Pattie seemed to doubt this very much. "Listen, you might have been able to take in one stray runt, but I'm sure the Boss will agree with me that you've gone _too far_-"

"What happens in my room is no one's business but my own. If I want to let some people pay for rent, then I can. You let me worry about that shitty old man." Sanji's tone, which was already strong, turned a touch lower, a shade more dangerous. He leaned forward, his eye narrowed in anger. "But don't you _ever _refer to Usopp as a 'stray runt' again Pattie, you hear me? He's my best friend and he keeps Baratie running more than you do. We have plenty of cooks to pick up the slack if you leave, but only _one _waiter. So stop right now while you're ahead, before I have to kick your ass to get my point across."

"You have no idea how hilarious that sounds coming from a man with a broken leg," snorted Pattie.

Sanji smirked and pulled out a new cigarette, lighting it casually and taking his time. He blew a puff of smoke straight into Pattie's face and replied confidently, almost smugly, "Even with a broken leg I could kick your ass. You don't stand a chance against me."

"You want to find out?" sneered Pattie, his lip curling at the gesture.

Sanji smirked at him, and instead of replying just shifted his weight to the crutch and the leg in the cast, swinging around quickly and strongly with his other leg, aiming to knock Pattie out as soon as possible. His cigarette continued to burn, the smoke a visible, disappearing trail of his movements.

The other cook took the devastating blow to the side, immediately toppling over into a table of rough looking men. A heavy silence blanketed the entire room as forks and spoons clattered onto the tabletops in shock.

"S-_Sanji_!" shrieked Usopp, clutching onto the mop with anxiety.

Sanji merely straightened, smoothing his suit of wrinkles while he looked idly around the dining room. "My apologies," he said to the guests in general, "Don't let me interrupt your meal." He then cast a quick calming glance at Usopp before moving toward the table Pattie had fallen onto. Looking at the table showed that several dishes had been overturned and a few may have even been shattered. Annoyed at the waste of food, Sanji grabbed Pattie by the shirt with his free hand not holding the crutch and started to yank him free of the table. "I can arrange for another table for you and new food if you wish," he calmly told the men.

Tension riveted the air, many of the guests on the edge of their seats. Some were frightened and horrified, others eager and anticipating. One or two people had actually stood up from their seats to get a better view.

Baratie was infamous for its spontaneous brawls.

"Just because you're the senior cook doesn't mean you can pull this sort of-!" hissed Pattie, throwing a disoriented swing at him and missing completely, too angry to finish his sentence.

Usopp had already taken to cleaning up the splattered food, his eyebrows furrowed. Nervously casting Sanji a concerned look, the waiter decided to keep quiet for the moment.

"I can do whatever I want," Sanji answered uncaringly, letting go of Pattie's shirt and stepping back. He stopped for a drag on his cigarette, calmly eyeing the cook. "Besides, idiot, I'm Senior Cook for a _reason. _ If being Senior Cook doesn't mean I can put a stop to rebellions and insults, what _does _it mean?"

"We're gonna be needing our table and food," drawled one of the men, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I'll see to that for you," said Usopp hastily, dumping the wasted food and broken shards of plates into a bag.

Pattie groggily looked up from the ruined table, but a deep-seeded malice was rooted in the stare he gave Sanji. "It means it's also your responsibility to make sure our customers are happy, idiot," he hissed. Getting up to his feet, he brushed off Usopp's attempts to help him, and he managed a bow to the angry men. "My sincerest apologies."

"Hey, I didn't start this shit," Sanji replied crankily to Pattie, but he still glanced at the men and shrugged with one shoulder. "I'll get the food, Usopp." Turning on his heel, he started back toward the kitchen to get the men new meals. He didn't want to stand around watching Usopp throw away the food. In a way, it was still good to eat... but when the table broke, so did glasses and plates, straight into the food. Trying to eat any of that would probably be more risk than it was worth.

The rest of the evening went by with little incident; as a matter of fact, Pattie seemed to go out of his way to avoid speaking with Sanji. Even so, he managed to throw the blond a scathing stare every time they happened to pass. This wasn't unusual, however, and the rest of the staff was sure that both parties would forget about the whole affair by the next morning.

It was nearing closing time when Luffy appeared in the hallway, wearing different clothes and a strange expression that was somehow determined, amused, but also thoughtful. His now sandal-clad feet clopped against the floor, the white tufts on his long shorts swishing against each other as he padded into the dining room. Most of the customers had left-some because closing time was nearing, and others to move to other establishments for the night. Baratie was famous and impressive, but it wasn't a bar and didn't have quite the same atmosphere, frequent brawls or not. So it was that when Luffy arrived, not incredibly long after he had first disappeared but still long enough, there were only three tables still in use, and the broken table and plates had long ago been cleared away.

Fullbody and his friends were in one corner still, with a couple in another corner staring dreamily at each other over their still-full plates, and a sailor at the third table, laughing animatedly with a presumed friend who looked decidedly shady. Pattie had disappeared into the kitchen, which was perhaps best for Sanji so as to avoid the argument from before at the sight of one of the alleged freeloaders.

Scanning the room for familiar faces, Luffy's expression lit up immensely when he saw Sanji just leaving the couples' table with an empty bottle of wine and a towel draped over his arm. "Sanji!" Luffy yelled out suddenly, grinning and waving, and in the same movement he started looking around. "Where's Usopp?"

Sanji glanced over at his name, partially irritated to see Luffy bothering him while he was working, and partially amused at the sudden change in clothing. What the hell sort of outfit did the kid manage to find? He looked like a scrawny, confused peasant in that vest-shirt and shorts, and yet somehow it seemed to fit his image better than the semi-formal clothing had before.

Instead of bothering to greet him, Sanji only tilted his head in the direction of the kitchen and answered idly as he passed, "Kitchen. He'll be right out." He glanced over at Fullbody's table, his expression twitching a moment toward irritation. "Bitchboy over there was complaining about missing some food from his meal or some shit, and Usopp ran off to the kitchen before I could even ask what the hell the guy wanted." He didn't really know why he was bothering to explain the situation to Luffy, but the kid's large dark eyes turned toward the table anyway, studying the guy and his friends.

"Oh," Luffy said, blinking, the grin starting to falter as he eyed the man. "He looks stupid and mean."

Sanji laughed suddenly, but didn't get the chance to reply before Usopp appeared and Luffy's attention was turned to him instead with a cheerful greeting and a wide, open smile.

The curly-haired man was balancing a tray of grilled vegetables and soup on one hand, apparently going to deliver the food to Fullbody. His eyes glanced at Luffy, however, and his face distinctly lit up. "Hey, there!"

Wandering away from Sanji, who just watched the two with bemusement, Luffy made it to Usopp's side and grinned ravenously at the food. "Oh! This smells good!" He paused, peering at the soup first and then the vegetables, and looked accusingly up at Usopp. "But there's no meat! Why're you carrying around food if there's no meat? What's the point?"

Usopp laughed. "It's side dishes for a customer. Besides, not everyone likes meat, you know…"

Luffy scoffed at the idea and crossed his arms at his chest, leaning back and looking away dismissively. "They're stupid, then. Everyone should like meat-how could you _not? _It's warm and tasty and makes the entire day better!"

"I once stumbled across a whole city of vegetarians," stated Usopp sagely.

Luffy's eyes slowly widened until he turned to stare at Usopp incredulously, as if unable to comprehend such a thing. "They're... they don't eat meat, right? Those strange people who don't eat it?" He paused, then leaned in and whispered in disbelief, "You mean they actually _exist? _A whole _city _of them?"

"That's right!" exclaimed Usopp. "A _whole_ city of them. In fact, it was against the law to eat any meat at all!"

Luffy looked absolutely scandalized, and completely at a loss for words. The very idea was so completely contrary to his own life that it was all he could do to stare at Usopp with his mouth open, eyes wide, and voice utterly silent.

Sanji had been idly starting the closing chores across the room, mostly not paying attention to the two but looking over at Usopp's exclamation. Rolling his one visible eye, he threw the towel over his shoulder and left the empty wine bottle on a table as he walked toward the two. On his way, he saw Fullbody finally look over and notice Usopp standing around gossiping while his food remained undelivered, and his expression changed quickly into anger, disappointment, and the obvious intent to mock. Sanji cut him off before he could speak, however, by calling out, "Hey, Usopp. Remember that waiter thing you do? How about trying it right now and not getting distracted by the shrimp?"

Startled, Usopp gave a small blush before he hurried across the room and over to Fullbody's table, profusely apologizing to the pink-haired man.

Fullbody made a derisive noise as he yanked the plates from Usopp's hands. "The kid can't even serve tables properly," he said mockingly, loud enough for the table to hear but not necessarily loud enough to carry across the room. He glanced at his friends with a knowing look. "Not surprising, considering where he comes from."

His friends laughed, and one nodded, adding, "Yeah, amazing he can do anything at all!"

"Next time," Fullbody was already saying to Usopp in a low murmur, nearly overlapping his lackey's comment, "I expect my food faster, and," he took a bite and made an exaggerated face of disgust, "_better._ This place's lucky a person like me visits. Wouldn't want your incompetence to drive us well-paying customers away."

Usopp pursed his lips, and his grip on the tray slightly tightened. With each word Fullbody spoke, the waiter's gaze seemed to grow darker and angrier. Instead of lashing out, however, he grudgingly muttered, "Enjoy your meal," and stalked away from the table.

The others at the table burst out into laughter, more out of a need to taunt him one more time than due to anything resembling amusement. Fullbody considered messing with the kid a bit more, but was distracted by the soup that was (admittedly) enjoyable. He didn't feel like dealing with the other waiter either, the pissy blond one who would probably break _that _table too and make them move again, so he let the matter lie for the moment and returned to an earlier conversation with the others.

Sanji watched the table with his visible eye narrowed suspiciously, but said nothing. Luffy was watching the interaction as well, though his expression was mostly unreadable save being fairly solemn. Still, when Usopp turned and stalked away, Luffy smiled and raised his hand as if to get his attention. "Hey, _hey! _Usopp! I have a question!"

Pausing long enough to look at Luffy, the angry expression on his face melting into a forced smile. "Yeah?"

"Do you have cream?" The question was asked immediately, as if Luffy had to say the words before he could forget, and he stared blankly at Usopp while he waited for an answer.

"Cream?" asked Usopp. "Well…I know we have some in the kitchen, but why do you need it? Did you buy some cake while you were out in town or what?"

Luffy stared at him, blinking slowly. "Cake?" He frowned thoughtfully, his eyebrows furrowing down as an expression of disappointment and indignation overcame him. "They have cake here? Why didn't Nami _tell _me?" Looking up suddenly, his eyes lit up with excitement. "Wait! You have cake _and _cream in the kitchen? Can I have some? Oh! Do they taste good together? I didn't know people did that!"

"What, put whipped cream on cake?"

Luffy looked amazed, never having realized the dual purpose. "Whipped cream! Wow..." He paused, looking away thoughtfully and muttering to himself. "Wait, that makes sense. _Whipped _cream... I never thought about it before. Of course it works if the word's in the name!"

"Wait," said Usopp, clearly confused. "What kind of cream were you wanting?"

Luffy blinked. "The kind for backs, what else?"

Usopp slapped a hand over his own forehead in exasperation. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Luffy looked at him oddly. "I did. I asked if you had cream, don't you remember? And then you started talking about cakes. I never thought about cakes and backs and whipped cream, but maybe it makes sense, actually..."

"Back cream is _not_ whipped cream," said Usopp, his nose wrinkling at the thought. "Although I once found an island where they used whipped cream to treat illnesses…"

"Ahh!" Luffy said triumphantly, slamming his fist into his open palm. "So it's Mystery Cream! If I put it on Zoro's back, though, will it make him better _and _taste good? What if we have no cake?"

For some reason, this made Usopp flush with embarrassment. "Z-Zoro? Why do you need back cream for Zoro?"

The blush seemed kind of odd to Luffy, but maybe Usopp really liked cream and didn't like to share it with people. Or maybe he was intimidated by the idea of Zoro getting the whipped cream and cake. Zoro could be kind of scary to some people, he supposed. Especially if he was after something someone really liked. Luffy mentally shrugged, it didn't really matter. He just gave Usopp an odd look and said with a smile, "'Cause I said I'd put it on him so now I will, but I had to find some first so I asked you." He paused, curious. "Why? Should he not need it?"

"What's he need it for?"

"Ohh. He hurt his back in Syrup Village." Luffy's tone was fairly nonchalant, his head tilted very slightly to the side. "Y'know, with a whip? That's why I thought whipped cream makes sense. _Is _it whipped cream you put on hurts like that? I never knew it worked like that..."

"Wh -_whip_?" squeaked Usopp, but he decided not to pursue the issue. "Uh…lemme…lemme go look for something-" He quickly scurried off.

Luffy nodded, even though Usopp was already gone, and waited for him to return. Now he was getting a little confused. He thought they were talking about whipped cream, which maybe worked for whip marks but not necessarily backs, but then Usopp ran off in a different direction. Shrugging, he dropped into a chair and idly kicked his feet, willing to wait for at least a little while.

It didn't take long for Usopp to come back with a thick, white bottle. "Here," he said. "This will help with the, uh, whip wounds. And it's not for cake, okay? _Don't eat this_."

"Oh," Luffy said, a little startled at Usopp's sudden reappearance. He looked down at the bottle, tested its weight a bit, then tilted his head up again with a blinding grin. "Thanks, Usopp! I won't eat it, I'll just put it on Zoro."

Sanji, who had half been listening to the conversation, finally sauntered his way over. "Hmm? What the hell are you two talking about? Should I be worried about the state of the room when I go to bed tonight? Or rather," and here he eyed Luffy distrustfully, "what I'll be walking into?"

"S-Sanji!" sputtered Usopp.

"What?" Sanji replied lazily, still eyeing Luffy. "If there's something weird going on in there, we have the right to know. After all," and here he narrowed his visible eye, "they _are _staying in _our _room."

Luffy stared blankly at Sanji, looking confused. "Yeah, but it's okay. We haven't messed anything up yet; the sheets are just kinda tangled and have stuff on 'em is all. You know, just a little blood." He paused, then suddenly looked like he understood. "Oh! We're using your bed though, Sanji, if that's okay. The floor was too hard and the cot seems really small, doesn't it?"

"Why the hell is there blood on the sheets?" cried Usopp, looking rather alarmed.

Sanji stared at Luffy, looking like he didn't know if he wanted to burst out laughing or be unnerved.

"'Cause Zoro took off his shirt? And then he was lying down?" Luffy framed the answer in the form of a question, rather confused by their reactions.

"So…he's injured then," said Usopp, looking rather relieved. "I'll bet he got hurt in a fight or something. R-right?"

"Umm, sorta," Luffy said, uncharacteristically not explaining further as he looked down at the bottle in his hands. He was silent for the space of half a heartbeat before he looked up again with his eyes closed and a smile on his face. "Soo... what do I do with this again? Don't eat and no cakes, I got that much."

Sanji watched the two interact with a sharp, alert expression, as if he were deciding whether he felt like getting involved in the conversation or not.

"You, uh, rub it into the wound," the curly-haired man replied, shifting where he stood.

"Oh, okay!" Luffy said brightly, and turned to leave. That didn't sound too hard, so he should probably start on that as soon as he could. Zoro was probably wondering what was taking him so long, anyway.

Sanji stuck out his hand before Luffy could pass, though, his other arm resting casually against the crutch. "Waaait a minute, kid. Not so fast. You think you can get away with getting my bed all nasty when I go out of my way to be nice to you people?"

Luffy stopped and blinked at him. "What...?"

"S-sanji!" The waiter's eyes widened. "It sounds like he…uh, just got hurt during some sort of confrontation in another town, that's all-"

"Be serious, Usopp," Sanji replied, a bit sharper than he had initially intended. He dropped his hand to Luffy's upper arm and tightened his grip enough to be a warning, to silently say that he was not intending to let the visitor leave until he was satisfied. "We have bandits roaming the desert, coming up with bigger and better ways to fuck us all over. They've started direct attacks, yeah, but who's to say they wouldn't do something else? What if some faction's gotten smart—started sending in spies, unlikely enemies, shit like that?"

He paused, leaning against the crutch propped against his ribs as he found a cigarette, placed it in his mouth and lit it one-handedly. Taking a deep drag, he narrowed his visible eye suspiciously and stared Luffy down, who only stared back at him with an unreadable expression. "You guys claim to be innocent travelers, but we'd have to be idiots not to tell the fighting ability in that idiot friend of yours. What kinda swordsman like that gets his ass kicked by small fries, or—more importantly—wanders around free on his own? People like that get snatched up by purposes in no time. You can't tell me there's no purpose for you."

Luffy watched him, his eyes seeming even darker as his expression fell to completely unfathomable and replied evenly, "We already told you. I'll be the Pirate King and he'll help me get there. I heard Zoro tell you that, even if I was only sort of paying attention."

Sanji snorted in disbelief. "There's more than that."

Luffy shrugged with one shoulder, the side that Sanji was not currently restraining. "That's all I have to say. What's this have to do with your room, anyway?"

It was Sanji's turn to shrug, though his was more languid than anything. "Lotta things," he said, looking away with a slight frown. "But I won't trust you two 'till I feel like I'm getting a straight answer. I don't care about the details of your past, I just wanna know what Baratie may be getting into housing people like you."

Something about the comment must have gotten to Luffy, because his eyes darkened even more and he looked away pensively. "If anything happens, we'll get it figured out and help you make it better," was his unhelpful reply.

Sanji raised his eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Ch. Like _that_ helps."

Usopp silently watched, his eyebrows furrowed some. Sanji was usually more trusting of those whom he encountered within Baratie - sometimes to a fault. Sadly, he noted that the sudden influx of bandits in the area probably made his blonde friend more wary. At least Sanji hadn't turned away any hungry mouths despite the fear that loomed in the air…

When Luffy didn't immediately answer, Sanji stared hard at him for a moment before realizing quite abruptly how silent his friend had been during the conversation. He glanced over at Usopp, only to find him watching the two with a slightly thoughtful expression... or was that disappointment? Sanji couldn't tell, but it irritated him a little to have that expression aimed in his general direction when he was just watching out for Baratie.

Pattie had a point. No matter what Sanji did on his own time, he still had a responsibility to the restaurant, one that (despite all his cursing) he took extremely seriously. If something turned out shady with the newcomers, it would be Sanji who had brought ruin to the restaurant, Sanji and no one else. And while he intensely disliked the idea of anything befalling his precious home, he was equally irritated with the idea of the old geezer never letting him live down the mistake, or Usopp looking distraught at some sign of betrayal from supposed friends. Grunting with slight crankiness, Sanji abruptly let go of Luffy's arm and looked away, drawing a deep breath through the blessed filters of his cigarette.

"Whatever. The longer you stay here, the longer that idiot bleeds all over my stuff. Usopp, give him better directions on how to use the shit or we'll find it all over the room with him saying something stupid like he thought Zoro's wounds meant the walls." But though Sanji's words were mildly derisive, his tone was more grudgingly dismissive than anything, his body language implying he was ready for a (temporary) truce.

"Um, sure." Usopp stepped toward Luffy, pointing at the directions. "It's really easy, you know…you just rub it into the wounds on his back." He paused before his tone sounded almost desperate. "Please don't eat it or get it on anything…"

Luffy's attention switched back to Usopp as soon as he began explaining again, and though he watched him intently, a smile started to war with his serious expression. He had just been told the same simple directions several times, with the same warnings. Watching Usopp get more nervous about Luffy misusing the cream made him burst out laughing, waving one hand as if to fend off the idea.

"No worries, no worries, Usopp!" he said confidently, his voice rippling with the undercurrent of amusement, "I don't think I'll forget not to eat this, and I'll only get it on Zoro, nothing else." He had idly brought the bottle toward his face, as if to demonstrate how close it could be to his mouth without him feeling tempted to ingest it, when he suddenly raised his eyebrows and looked down at the cream in surprise.

"Ohh, but it smells good, doesn't it?" He eyed it, then turned his gaze back to eyeing Usopp curiously, determinedly. "Are you _sure _you shouldn't eat this? Why would they make something smell so nice if you weren't supposed to?"

"They make it smell nice so your skin won't be stinky," explained Usopp. "Don't eat it or it'll make you really sick. I'm serious."

"How can you be so sure?" Luffy asked, laughing freely at Usopp's determination. "Have you tried?"

"I'm sure someone has because it says so on the bottle," said Usopp. "So don't eat it or-or else you're stomach will melt or something."

"Ah! My _stomach'll melt?" _Luffy demanded incredulously, holding the bottle away from him as if to keep the danger at bay. "Will it melt skin, too?" His eyes grew wider as he thought he suddenly understood. "Wait! You mean it makes things better by _melting the wound away?" _

Usopp gave a small grin. "Something like that. But it won't melt right away."

Luffy looked equally disturbed and interested, and stared at the bottle again with a new light in his eyes. "Wouldn't that hurt, though?"

"No, it'll make his wounds feel better."

"By _melting _them! This stuff is weird... even if it _is _Mystery Cream."

"Just don't eat it or get it on anything," said Usopp again.

Luffy looked up at Usopp, then started laughing again. It wasn't as surprised or loud as before, but he was still amused. "Fine, fine, I'll use it right. I'm not hungry for melty-stuff anyway." He turned again toward the hallway, and it was only when Sanji did not stop him that he noticed the cook had moved away awhile ago and was halfway across the room talking to someone. Still, Luffy felt his gaze on him (strong, considering there was only one eye to do all the glaring for both) and looked over. Luffy smiled in Sanji's direction, and started to walk away from Usopp, still thinking of how amusing Usopp was when he worried endlessly like that.

The curly-haired man watched him leave in silence, a hand idly placing itself into his pocket. "He's a little strange."

Sanji couldn't decide between abrupt laughter and sarcasm, which resulted in an aborted, semi-strangled chuckle. "You think?" he asked, but the tone was teasingly sarcastic. "Seems like a normal guy to me."

Casting Sanji a mildly exasperated look, Usopp was about to answer before Fullbody's harsh tone filled the room. "Waiter! Hey, _waiter_! Give me my check!"

"I'll be back," muttered Usopp before he shuffled away, looking less than enthused.

Sanji watched Usopp go and shrugged to himself, turning back to his duties. Still, he kept a discreet eye on the brat customer just in case. He had already shown himself to be a nuisance before; he likely would be one again. And Usopp, as brave as he liked to try to be, sometimes wasn't the best at defending himself against personal attacks, even verbal ones.

Minutes passed as the transaction was made, but it was difficult to hear what words were being exchanged. Fullbody spoke lowly and smoothly as he reviewed the check, Usopp shifting nervously all the while. At last, however, the pink-haired man slammed the money on the table and stood up with his gang of buddies. "There it is in full - I suppose the food was good enough for that at least. But don't expect any tips from me!" he said haughtily, his words slurring from too much alcohol. "I don't tip common mutts." And with that he and his friends departed, guffawing heartily.

A cold silence had fallen over Usopp as he grudgingly cleared the table.

"He only tips the finest inbreeds, you see," Sanji said blandly, appearing rather suddenly behind Usopp. Standing near enough that his body heat could be felt, Sanji reached out to start stacking dishes to help his friend.

The waiter's frosty demeanor seemed to immediately melt away. "I wish he wouldn't insult my family like that," he muttered instead.

Sanji tilted his head forward in a half-nod, gathering some dishes into a pile and leaning back to balance on his crutch as he turned toward Usopp with a serious expression. "He's an idiot, but the worst kind. The kind that thinks they're suave and intelligent and above everyone else. He's got no right to say that shit about you _or _your family, and if he keeps it up he'll learn soon enough when to keep his mouth shut. Still, you'll run into shitheads like him a lot. Maybe _they're _obsessed with money and rank, but all the people that matter in this world aren't. Whatever that idiot says, there's nothing common _or _mutt-like about you oryour parents. So ignore him, huh? Laugh at his stupidity instead of believing it, and you become the better person."

Usopp suddenly turned toward Sanji, his dark eyes meeting the cook's firm gaze.

Sanji merely watched him for several long moments, his intent expression not wavering a bit. After a heartbeat he raised his eyebrow, as if to ask if Usopp disagreed with his opinion and that was the reason for that look.

Blushing a little, the darker man lightly averted his eyes. "I know he doesn't have the right. So far, he hasn't blatantly said anything about my dad, but I know he's thinking it." His eyebrows furrowed. "If it weren't for the fact that he's a regular customer, I'd punch him."

The comment made Sanji burst out laughing, the amusement so much that he closed his eyes and blindly put his free hand on Usopp's shoulder as if to keep his balance despite his other hand on his crutch. "Usopp!" he said helplessly, unable to stop chuckling even just to speak, though as he continued it slowly died down. "This is _Baratie _we're talking about. Fistfights are the main freaking course! If that guy's an ass, I don't care _how _much money he gives this place. We can find others to replace him easily, who will probably even tip." He shook his head to himself, looking at Usopp with laughter shining in his visible eye. "You damn idiot." Yet he managed to make that sound amused and almost affectionate, the effect strengthened when he ruffled Usopp's curly hair.

Managing a nervous smile, Usopp smiled a little at Sanji's playful, light-hearted attitude. "That might be so, but…"

Sanji shrugged, dropping his hand from Usopp's head to the table where he absently moved some more dishes. "Hey, if you don't have any faith in Baratie to pull in _non-_asshole customers, just come out and say it. You think our cooks draw the worst sorts in the area? That we can't have respectable people here, or get any to come…?" There was nothing sharp in his tone, more an idle comment that he let trail off meaningfully as he glanced sidelong at Usopp.

Usopp suddenly looked up at his friend. "No!" he said, almost shouting. "No, that's not it at all! Baratie is the best restaurant in the entire region! All sorts of people come here - all sorts of really _nice_ people! Baratie-Baratie is the _best_..."

"Hmm." Sanji seemed to consider that seriously for a moment, then glanced over with an expression that was hard to read, though may have held a mild amount of exasperation. "Interesting. So, mind telling me why it's so important we cling to scum like that guy, if we're the best and can bring in 'all sorts of nice people'...?"

"I has nothing to do with clinging to any sort of scum," said Usopp firmly. "I just don't want to lose my job."

"Ahh. Well, we'll see what happens. There's no use risking anything on your part for a dork like him," Sanji conceded aloud, though a decidedly less polite thought passed his mind. _I, on the other hand, have far less to lose..._

Pursing his lips, Usopp's eyes roamed across the mostly empty chairs and tables. He could recall all the times the other cooks had fought or ran a few customers out none-to-calmly. But they were different - part of the 'guys.' They were the best of the best in their field, and although their relationships with one another could be volatile, there was a common interest that bound them all together. But he, Usopp…was just a regular waiter, no one the other cooks had ever really taken too all that well. Pattie's attitude toward him, though usually better tucked away, was sheer proof of this. No matter how long he stayed there working with Sanji, he knew he would never fit in with the family of cooks at Baratie. Just because the others did something didn't mean he had the same liberties.

A melancholy expression fleetingly passed through his face.

Noticing the heaviness of Usopp's silence, Sanji glanced at him from the corner of his eye. The clinking of dishes was the only sound for a few moments before he suddenly spoke. "Ch. You think too much. Let's get this place closed up so we can get to bed."

Turning toward Sanji, the curly-haired man gave a large smile and laughed. "Sure. I don't know about you, but I'm beat."

Sanji nodded, gathering the dishes he could with one hand and shifting away from the table. "Would I have suggested that if I wasn't tired too?" he asked, though the question was rhetoric and there was no bite to it. "Hurry up, turtle."

"Turtle?" Usopp snorted. "I have the speed of a thousand roadrunners, I don't know what you're talking about." He quickly stacked several plates on top of one another, speaking with a sing-song voice.

Sanji snorted, calling over his shoulder, "Maybe if 'roadrunner' is some strange breed of turtle. Right now you're slower than a snail." There wasn't exactly the sound of a smile to his voice, but he spoke lightly enough that it was getting there.

Hurrying off to the kitchen, Usopp called after him over his shoulder. "I'll be finished before you, just watch!"

"Yeah right." But Sanji sounded amused, and he moved a little faster as if they were really in a competition. With both of them aware the other's progress, the actual closedown of Baratie went faster than ever. Some of the cooks, after finished in the kitchen, appeared to help at the very end. Soon, everyone was gone but Usopp and Sanji, who were heading toward the hallway in record time.

Laughing some, Usopp leisurely stretched as they walked together. "I so had you beat," he teased.

Sanji smirked around his newest cigarette. "You always _were _good at denial."

"You're just jealous," stated Usopp pompously. "I beat you completely under your nose."

"You'd have to. You're shorter than me." Sanji pointedly looked down at Usopp, his smirk almost evil.

The curly-haired man flushed in spite of himself, and he stared pointedly at Sanji. "And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"That you're short," Sanji said, though he couldn't help laughing. He whapped Usopp lightly on the upper arm, fluidly pulling his hand back to jerk his thumb back toward the main room in the same movement. "Hey. Don't forget the lights. I'm not hobbling all the way across the damn room just 'cause you're too lazy to contribute some tonight."

"Me lazy? You're one to talk." Easily pulling out his slingshot, Usopp retrieved a small handful of coins from his other pocket. Within a series of quick motions, he promptly shot each coin at the light switches positioned around the room. One by one, the light bulbs flickered off, bathing most of the restaurant in darkness.

"Yeah lazy. You don't even walk across the room to shut them off," came the bland reply, but they both knew Sanji found his aim to be impressive. He had said so, the first time he saw Usopp do that. Had said again when he saw Usopp do the same thing in the dark. The guy had talent, even if it was at such a seemingly random skill.

"Only because I work hard practicing," said Usopp, grinning at his friend. "I have the right to be lazy when it comes to stuff like that. I earned it in this case."

Sanji laughed again, but he made himself quiet down as they came closer to the two rooms. His gaze lingered briefly on the second room, the one Nami-san was supposed to be in, and noted with relief the darkness under the door. Good. She was getting some sleep. They would be poor hosts if their guest couldn't get comfortable for the night. Though, speaking of comfortable and guests... His gaze slid to the first door, the one to Usopp's and his room. It was dark and silent outside the door, which implied Luffy and Zoro were asleep as well. _They damn well _better_ be,_ Sanji thought to himself, frowning at the door, _And they better not be on my bed! _ He was only letting Zoro use it while he didn't need it. There was no way he was letting them keep it from him all night.

Reaching for the doorknob, he twisted it with enough pressure to silence the usual squeakiness that became apparent only in the dead of the night with no background sound to mask it, and he slowly pulled the door open. The only light left on in all of Baratie was the very dim light in the hallway that always remained on to illuminate the way to the stairs, bathroom, bedrooms and out to the rest of the restaurant. Even that faded light was a change to the darkness inside, though, and a rectangle grew across the floor slowly as he opened the door and peered inside.

The room looked the same as it had been left, with the exception of the covers kicked around a bit on Sanji's bed, and the addition of the two new occupants. Luffy could be seen in the slight rise and fall of his chest, the faint spill of shadow-toned color on his sprawled form on one side of the bed. He was sprawled out on his back, looking completely dead from the world.

Beside him, Zoro rested just as silently, his broad chest rising and falling. The only exception was that his eyes lazily drew open as the sliver of light spilled across his form. The glinting stare he gave the onlookers wasn't malicious or hateful, but it held a firm self-assuredness that clearly said that he was not to be messed with.

Sanji was a little surprised to see Zoro open his eyes from such a seemingly deep sleep, and was even more unnerved-yet-amused to see him give them such a Look. What the hell was up with that guy, anyway? He was strange enough on his own, but the way he hovered around Luffy was almost disconcerting. He couldn't help a wicked grin, wanting to tease the ass a bit. What'd the guy think, Sanji and Usopp were going to steal his precious Luffy right out from beside him? Or maybe he was trying to stake his claim on the bed. Whatever the case, Sanji let the grin slide to a smirk as he gave him a knowing look that seemed to say he had noticed how weird Zoro was, and he was definitely going to call him on it later. At the moment, though, the only thing from his mouth was the soft command, "Off the bed. Now."

"You're not waking him up," muttered Zoro, jerking a thumb toward Luffy.

Sanji laughed outright at that, but the sound was somehow quietly teasing. "You're suggesting I take your place? Hmm. What do you suppose Luffy'd think about that…?" He pretended to give it thought, his visible eye glinting faintly as he tilted his head so most of his face was no longer in shadow from the backlighting.

"Are you kidding me?" Zoro raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't trust you enough to let you do something like that."

"Ahh, but trust me," Sanji said with a smirk that was meant to annoy Zoro, "I've had plenty of experience."

Zoro's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Sanji shrugged easily, answering with a drawl, "Whatever the hell you _want _it to mean to get you off my bed right now. Just kick Luffy off, what's the big deal? He's sleeping like the damn dead anyway, I doubt he'd notice."

"Quit talking like you know how he sleeps," growled Zoro as he slowly sat up. He lightly winced as his wounded torso stretched from the movement.

"Nice to know I'm conversing with an expert here," Sanji answered dryly, even as he eyed Zoro. This conversation was just too weird, as was the way Zoro was so casually protective (almost possessive?) of Luffy. Sanji couldn't even begin to guess what sort of weird ass relationship the two had going, other than the obvious conclusions that didn't quite seem to fit with the way the two interacted. Whatever the case, Zoro was moving and looked to be complying with his demands, so that was good. The rest of it could wait until later, when he wasn't so damn tired and his cast-covered leg wasn't inexplicably (and rather annoyingly) aching.

Silently ignoring the pair of onlookers, Zoro slipped his arms beneath Luffy, slowly lifting him up and against himself. He paused long enough to get used to the weight, his back lightly arching in pain as he gave a soft hiss. Casting Sanji an irritated glance, the green-haired man moved away from the bed, Luffy securely in his arms.

Luffy, for his part, did not seem to notice in the least the movement, the only indication of his change in position being his head lolling to rest against Zoro's chest. He continued to breathe deeply, his mouth wide open and emitting the occasional faint snore, though now all the heat of his breath was gathering against the new obstruction and was returning to warm him slightly back. Perhaps noticing that much, he did close his huge mouth long enough to murmur something pleasantly, but the moment was gone almost as soon as it happened, and he was back to the oblivious almost-snoring.

Sanji raised his visible eyebrow at the display, the smirk remaining on his face as he rather bemusedly watched Zoro deal with Luffy as carefully as if he were glass. Or some precious, rare item. The guy was seriously odd-rough all the time but so randomly gentle here. Sanji didn't even want to bother dealing with implications or questions, and only nodded approvingly (almost smugly) at Zoro. He finally stepped fully into his room and headed toward his bed as fluidly as he could with the crutch. "That's great and all, but you may want to set him on the floor or something. I doubt even _you _sleep standing up holding someone like that."

"I just don't want to wake him up," growled Zoro. "I really don't think you want to listen to him ramble about the bugs you have in here for the rest of the night."

Sanji blinked at the random comment, and turned to Zoro with an honestly startled, curious look. "Bugs...?"

The swordsman only shook his head as he gently placed Luffy onto the floorboards.

Sanji frowned, a little irritated that the question had been ignored. He almost wanted to lightly kick at them just to see what Zoro would do, but it probably involved more energy to deal with the consequences of that than Sanji had right then. Looking away and ignoring the rest of the room, Sanji carefully propped his crutch against the nightstand and the wall, and settled down on his bed. At least Zoro and Luffy had listened to his condition that they had to lie on _top _of the covers.

At least, it seemed they had as nothing was amiss that he could tell. He still felt a little strange thinking that those two had just been using his bed-especially when he could clearly feel the two spots with lingering heat-but he ignored it and turned his back to the rest of the room, yawning hugely and closing his eyes to prepare for sleep. He was tired enough that he didn't think it would take long. Which was just as well, since he had to be up early helping with chores in the morning.

Usopp languidly made his way over to the small, cramped cot that hung at the other side of the room. Casting Zoro a quick, nervous glance, he awkwardly settled into it and closed his eyes. "Night," he said hoarsely.

Zoro muttered something in return as he gingerly laid himself down beside Luffy, his wounds hindering him a little.

"Night," Sanji called back sleepily, and if there was any response he was too tired to have noticed.

The first thought that hazily came to mind was that he didn't remember the bed being so hard. The second was that he was vaguely starting to get hungry.

Squinting his eyes open blearily, Luffy yawned hugely and unconsciously stretched as much as he could, noting once more the hard and straight bed. Blinking, he yawned again and flopped over, staring uncomprehendingly down first at the floor (what was the floor doing on the bed?) and then up at the source of the only other sound in the room: Zoro, and his quiet but steady even breathing.

Pushing himself up, Luffy rubbed at his eyes and peered around the room blankly. He thought he remembered falling asleep on the bed, but there it was, up there, with him down there on the floor. He didn't really mind, just found it to be a curious thing to wake up to. Maybe he fell off somewhere in the middle of the night, and Zoro thought he could protect him from monsters under the bed better if he joined him on the floor. That had to be it. Luffy had to grin to himself, amused. Sheesh, to think Zoro still believed in monsters under the bed... What a weird guy. Everyone _knew _they lived in the closet!

Not really wanting to wake Zoro up, and still being sleepy enough that he didn't feel any burning need to be anywhere but where he was, he shifted quietly so he could lean against the cot. Settling back into a fairly comfortable position, he let his legs flop bonelessly open and his hands rest by his side as he idly watched his bodyguard sleep, content to do nothing but that.

Zoro shifted stiffly, as if he could feel Luffy's gaze burning into him.

As if accounting for that, Luffy tried squinting (to lessen the intensity of his gaze, obviously) and relaxing even more against the cot, trying to exude an aura of peacefulness. He was curious to see if Zoro would go back to sleep if he had awoken (or if he would relax if that was just tension and not him coming awake) if he was convinced that Luffy was fine. He wondered how much of Zoro's tension was him being a bodyguard, and how much of it was just Zoro being Zoro.

At that moment, the swordsman's face lightly twitched, and his dark eyes flickered open.

Luffy laughed, his question answered. Apparently it was just Zoro being Zoro. "Morning!" he said cheerfully with a wide grin.

Instead of answering, Zoro crankily turned his face away, stifling a yawn.

That only made Luffy laugh again, sounding delightedly amused this time. He crossed his legs abruptly, leaning forward and watching Zoro curiously. "You didn't sleep well? Probably because you were too worried about the monsters. It would've been fine, you know. I don't think that closet's big enough for one, and they don't exist under beds."

"I wasn't worried about monsters," he said gruffly, slowly bringing himself to a sit.

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just my wounds acting up again." As if to dispel any possible concern for him, Zoro began to casually stretch.

"Ohh." He had almost forgotten about that. He blamed the morning, really. Watching Zoro closely, Luffy noticed the tension when he stretched. It was still hurting, obviously, which meant only one thing! Shifting forward abruptly, Luffy stretched over Zoro to snag the cream off the table and drop it into his lap as he sat down again near his bodyguard. "Okay, you can take your shirt off now!" he informed Zoro cheerfully, a confident and encouraging grin dominating his expression.

Eying the bottle warily, Zoro paused in mid-stretch. "Why?" But it was pointless to ask.

Luffy rolled his eyes good-naturedly and reached for the shirt instead of waiting. "Because I don't think the cream works very well through clothes, but we could try if you want."

Despite the defiant stare Zoro gave the prince, he eventually obeyed and shed the shirt. After he tossed the garment onto the floor, he bowed his head and silently waited with a set jaw and tense muscles.

Luffy caught the expression, and laughed for the third time that morning. He poured a generous amount of the healing cream into his palm and said slightly teasingly, the amusement dancing in his voice, "You don't have to look so upset about it. It doesn't hurt, does it? You look like you're waiting for punishment."

Zoro said nothing for a moment. "Just get it over with."

"So it _does _hurt?" Luffy asked, though the question was idler than it normally would be when discussing harming Zoro. Since he knew this was supposed to heal the wounds by melting them, it would make sense if it hurt a bit at first. And while he wasn't a fan of Zoro being in pain, he knew Zoro had almost positively felt far worse in his life, and this was all to help him anyway. It was to make things better. He paused before he actually put the cream on Zoro, though, waiting for a response so he would know if he was supposed to be doing this quickly to 'get it over with' or if it would be better to go a little slower so he wouldn't be jostling the wounds as much.

"It could be worse," Zoro replied simply.

Luffy couldn't decide if he was amused or exasperated by the response, so he just shrugged and concentrated on spreading the cream thoroughly, but fairly quickly, across all of Zoro's wounds. "Maybe you're just not used to the tingly-feeling," he said idly, still managing a rather matter-of-fact tone. "I think it feels fine, if a bit weird, but I guess it's not going on open cuts for me." Though his hands remained a little sensitive since the fire, the cream stillfelt nice to _him_. Maybe it was because whip-wounds and burn-and-cut-wounds reacted differently or something.

As he felt fingers roam across his sore muscles, Zoro's back lightly arched. He said nothing during the process, but the swordsman tried to will himself to be a bit more relaxed. Minutes seemed to crawl by, but his body began to slowly ease up, and Zoro permitted his weight to lightly lean into Luffy's hands.

That, Luffy decided, must mean it didn't hurt as much anymore. Which was good. After being quiet for awhile, Luffy pressed just a little harder to make sure he was getting the cream rubbed in sufficiently. "Does that hurt?" he asked, a little softly since he was concentrating so much on keeping the correct amount of pressure.

"Could be worse," he said again, his eyes closing. "But it kinda feels good…"

Luffy smiled to himself, amused and pleased. Maybe Zoro's definition of 'good' for everything was 'could be worse' after all.

"Good," was all he said aloud, and continued with exactly the same pressure except in a few places where he thought maybe it would be better to press just a _little _harder. He was mostly done, but he couldn't help thinking that if it felt kinda good then maybe he shouldn't stop immediately, so he continued to pour more cream on his palms and rub ointment into the tan, scarring skin. Besides, if he put on more than was needed, it would stay on longer and help for longer too, right?

His palms resting against the rough floorboard, the swordsman shifted a little awkwardly. But whatever shyness he felt was squelched by the soothing properties of the cream and Luffy's touch. In spite of himself, a soft moan left Zoro's throat.

Luffy grinned to himself but said nothing so Zoro wouldn't think he had to get all tense and serious again. He just continued what he was doing, and wondered idly what Zoro would have labeled that. Would that translate as 'could be a lot worse'? The thought was amusing.

A soft puff of air leaving his mouth, the green-haired man lightly tilted his head back, his eyes settling to a close. As Luffy's fingers diligently worked, Zoro could feel the pleasant sensations of the cream healing his wounds and his muscles loosening up. His heart began to slow to a relaxed pace, his fingers digging leisurely into the wood. He didn't know when the last time he had felt this good and alcohol hadn't been involved. His skin tingled pleasantly, and the smooth feel of Luffy's touch filled him with a deep satisfaction...

At that last thought, his stomach did a nauseating flip, but the swordsman quickly swallowed it down.

Something about watching Zoro relax so much made feel Luffy feel both triumphant and satisfied, as he was finally able to give something concrete back to his bodyguard. Zoro got those wounds to protect Luffy, so it was only fair that Luffy could give back somehow, could make the pain of the wounds go away and leave something far more pleasant behind. He was fascinated by the way the muscles slowly relaxed beneath his hands, how the constant alert tension started to muffle and dissipate a little.

But even more, he found his attention caught rather unexpectedly by the way Zoro tilted his head back, and part of him wanted to see what those dark eyes looked like when influenced by an emotion other than guarded control. When Zoro did not open his eyes immediately, Luffy looked down to watch Zoro's fingers dig into the floor, his attention now riveted by such an unconscious, unguarded movement.

He felt so proud, so pleased, and wished he could do this all the time for Zoro instead of just when he had the cream. That had to be the only reason for any of this in the first place, but he was still happy he had thought to get cream. If he hadn't, Zoro would never be so fascinatingly (and satisfyingly) relaxed and... open, maybe, or maybe vulnerable without being weak.

He could only hope sometime he would be able to see him like this again. Maybe he should bring the cream with him when they left Baratie for Shanks'...

His full weight beginning to lean into the prince, Zoro exhaled again. The pain and tightness was slowly melting away beneath Luffy's skilled hands, and he involuntarily gave the tiniest shiver.

Having to support someone while still trying to smear cream on them was a little more difficult than just putting on the cream itself. Luffy didn't want Zoro to fall over backward, but he didn't feel it was necessary to stop what he was doing to support his bodyguard's weight either. So he just let the extra heaviness aid him by digging his fingers in a little deeper.

Luffy never really had a reason to deal with anyone so closely for an extended period of time, so he wasn't sure, but he thought he could feel the muscles loosening in Zoro's back, more than Luffy expected them to. It must be a good thing, or he assumed it was. The shiver could have meant Zoro was cold, though, and maybe he was leaning back to silently tell Luffy to stop by trying to make it harder to continue.

Not really caring to stop until Zoro outright told him to, though, Luffy just kept rubbing in the cream he had, and infrequently added more. His hands were positively pulsing with the tingling, but it was a strangely pleasant feeling, and even if it wasn't he would have continued if it meant Zoro was feeling better, or if this made his initial crankiness morph to relaxation.

A few moments drifted by before Zoro slowly opened his dark eyes. Shifting a little, he sat up more and pressed less weight against Luffy's hands. Turning his head slightly, his gaze met his companion's.

Luffy had been watching his hands, concentrating so much on what he was doing that he almost didn't realize anything had changed. But when Zoro shifted and sat up, almost like a statue shaking off decades of slumber and coming to life, Luffy glanced up automatically. He was so startled to see Zoro starting to turn his head that he momentarily stilled his hands-bracing them just below the shoulder blades to support his bodyguard's weight. He stared as he found himself caught by dark eyes, and for that moment there was nothing shielding his completely open expression, not even the usual over-cheerfulness.

Luffy stayed silent, and though he usually would be brightly grinning and laughing at that point, he didn't. Maybe it was the surprise, or maybe it just seemed like the grin would seem somehow fake right then, even if it were sincere. Instead, he stared, and if the corners of his lips did lift in the gentlest beginning of a smile, and if his eyes were soft enough as if he had smiled outright, well, that was just an indication of how he felt inside: peaceful, content, and pleased.

"You do that good," the swordsman muttered awkwardly.

"Do I?" And the smile did come out fully that time, though it was calmer than the usual brightness. "I've never tried it before."

Zoro averted his gaze, almost shyly. "Yeah…"

"I told you the cream worked," Luffy said suddenly, and the smile shifted to a grin that still remained mellow. He felt too relaxed to exude the usual excessive energy.

Not saying anything right away, the green-haired man shifted his gaze back onto the prince's eyes.

Luffy just continued to smile, deciding the silence must be some form of agreement. Maybe it was the new 'could be worse.' Though he didn't know why Zoro kept being so quiet and looking him in the eyes. It didn't seem like they met each other's gaze for long periods of time very often. Luffy didn't mind at all, he just didn't know what it meant.

"Thanks," Zoro muttered after a moment.

Luffy shrugged. "No thanks needed. It's kinda fun." He smiled happily.

Pulling away, Zoro casually swiped his shirt up from the floor, pulling it over his scarred torso. "I'm hungry."

"Good thing we're in a restaurant then, huh?" Luffy asked rhetorically, laughing. He finally remembered to put the cap back on the cream bottle and set it on the table. "Hey! Last one to find Usopp or Sanji gets no food!" Without waiting for a reply, he jumped up and slammed the door open, tearing out into the hallway in hopes of winning his own wager.

Suddenly irritated, Zoro slipped on the haramaki and jogged after him, leaving the door slightly ajar. "Oi! Wait up!"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The dining area of the restaurant was relatively empty, as Baratie didn't open until sometime after 1 o'clock for a late lunch before closing briefly to prepare for dinner. Sanji and Usopp had risen from bed several hours earlier than Zoro and Luffy, having to attend to their daily chores. The blonde chef had been willing to make a small breakfast for the pair, while Usopp stood near them to keep their guests entertained.

"-so that was when I told the giant fish that he couldn't eat Baratie," said Usopp simply as he finished up one of his many stories. "I guess that's just one of the hazards of living in a port town."

"Wow!" Luffy said around the pancake shoved in his mouth. "So _that's _why there's a fish on the roof..."

Sanji snorted quietly, though said nothing about the absurdity of the story as he idly blew cigarette smoke into the air. "That's not a real fish up there, you idiot. It's made of wood."

Luffy's eyes only widened and he swallowed dramatically, rounding on Usopp as if it were his fault for not telling the story properly. "You mean it was a giant _wooden _fish?"

"I turned it into wood," the curly-haired man elaborately pompously.

Luffy opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Sanji interrupted him with a tone that sounded politely interested, but held a slightly evil glint to those who knew him well. "Oh? And how exactly did you do that?"

"I told him he could eat some trees instead," Usopp said smoothly. "He ate so many, he turned to wood! You are what you eat, you know."

"So Luffy will turn into a pancake soon, then," Sanji mused aloud, nodding as if that made sense.

Luffy, meanwhile, looked incredibly startled and a little unnerved. "I'll-_what?" _

"You better be careful, Luffy!" warned Usopp, wagging a finger at him.

"Stop filling him with crap that isn't true," growled Zoro, crankily stuffing a pancake into his mouth to prove that food couldn't hurt him.

Luffy stared between Usopp and Zoro, not really sure which to listen to. "But Zoro... what about that one fruit?" he asked, perplexed.

"That's obviously different," replied the swordsman.

"It is?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Luffy fell silent, thoughtful for only a moment before he got distracted with the food on his plate and began eating in earnest again. If he was going to turn into his food, it would have happened long ago. And there was nothing wrong with becoming a pancake. Pancakes were tasty and especially good dripping with syrup and butter.

Sanji raised an eyebrow at the exchange, but didn't even bother asking. He'd get some stupid answer, no doubt, and it would just turn out that Luffy was talking about cantaloupe or something.

He leaned back on his crutch and looked around slightly impatiently. He felt bored just standing around waiting for the restaurant to open, a restlessness that did not often happen. There was just something about the day, maybe, that made him feel like constantly doing something more than he was. It had started when he woke up that morning and stumbled out of the room (that Marimo-head never even thanked him for bothering to navigate around the idiot instead of just stomping on him like he could have) and continued all that morning for no explainable reason. He sighed lightly and turned his attention back to the table, waiting for the restlessness to leave, or something to happen to make it go away.

As if sensing his friend's restlessness, Usopp turned to Sanji. "You know, the cast should be removed soon. Then you'll be able to move more freely."

Sanji smirked. "The cast should have come off long ago. I should take it off today, even. Not like a few extra days will make a difference."

"You can't take that cast off yourself," said Usopp, eyebrows furrowing a little.

Sanji's smirk increased to almost mischievous. "Ahh, Usopp. You have no faith in me... I bet I could do just fine."

The waiter was about to argue as Nami casually strode through the front doors of Baratie and into the dining area. Seeing her, Zoro paused long enough to regard the navigator with a suspicious look. "Where've you been?"

"Out," she said simply. "Seeing that you were too busy sleeping to do anything useful, I decided to go out and see if there were any ships available for us to use."

Luffy straightened up, swallowing his food in a hurry and turning shining eyes on Nami. "_Ship?"_

His excited exclamation was nearly overlapped by Sanji's swoon. "Nami-swan! You're looking beautiful today as always! Would you like breakfast? Do you need anything to drink? Sit down and I'll prepare you the best Baratie has to offer!" He tilted to the side, somehow managing to leave the impression that, if it had been possible, little hearts would have been floating all around him.

The orange-haired girl smiled sweetly. "That's awfully kind of you, Sanji-kun!" Usopp rolled his eyes from where he sat.

Smiling so widely that the corner of his lips was nearly eclipsed by the hair on his left, Sanji sang cheerfully, "Of course, Nami-swan! Anything for you!" Without making her wait for another minute, he made his way quickly to the kitchen, already planning an elaborate meal in his mind.

Luffy impatiently slammed his hand on the table, trying to get Nami's attention. "Hey! Ship! You said ship!"

_For someone who's filthy rich, he sure has lousy manners,_ thought Nami, clearly irritated by the whole affair. "Anyway, yes, we'll need a good ship if we intend to cross the sea. We won't be able to get very far in a row boat or a raft, you know."

Leaning forward happily, Luffy grinned widely. "Did you find a ship? Is it nice? Is it big? When can we pick it up?" His questions were nearly falling over each other in his excitement.

"There is no ship!" said Nami, lightly whapping Luffy upside the head. "We don't have the money!"

"What?" Luffy looked absolutely crestfallen, staring at her as if she had just said his best friend died. "But... how will we get one then? Don't you have enough?"

"Not enough to buy a good one," she said, folding her arms. She hated it when she didn't have the money to buy the things she wanted. "Don't worry, though, I'll think of something."

Relaxing back into his chair, Luffy frowned and said seriously, as if she did not know, "Okay, 'cause we really need one."

"I think I've made that pretty clear." Lightly tapping the table, Nami stared out of one of the wide windows. "It's a shame we don't have one. Otherwise, we could leave tomorrow."

"We should go look for one then! Let's go right now-it won't be hard, right? I bet there're ships lying around all over the place!" Luffy laughed cheerfully.

Nami suddenly slammed both hands onto the table, causing Zoro's empty plate to dance several inches. "Have you been listening? I've been looking for ships all day! We don't have the money!"

"Then we'll get one some other way, right?" Luffy grinned at her, adding optimistically, "It always works out somehow. Maybe if we go look for one, someone will give it to us for free!" He laughed again, happy to be discussing the sea and ships in any way.

"Oi, we've had this talk before," said Zoro. "The world doesn't work that way."

"But maybe we'll be lucky," Luffy insisted, turning his dark gaze on Zoro. "Let's go look after breakfast, and if we find one for free then we win! If not, Nami will definitely find an answer."

"Don't waste your time," insisted Nami. "No one is going to give you a ship for free."

"Then," Luffy said, mildly exasperated, "how're yougonna get us one?"

"I'll figure it out!"

Luffy waved a dismissive hand. "It doesn't matter, as long as we get one. When do you think you'll find one?"

"AS SOON AS I CAN!"

Usopp visibly winced.

Sanji appeared as suddenly as he had disappeared, his arms filled with impressively balanced, elaborately made delicacies. He noticed Nami nearly vibrating with frustration, and immediately placed himself at her side. "The most delicate of tastes for the most beautiful of ladies," he murmured near her ear, placing the plates carefully in front of her. He noted who Nami was glaring at, and turned his own icy stare on Luffy. "I leave for five minutes and you've already become a nuisance. Whatever you're doing, stop it. You're upsetting Nami-san."

Luffy just frowned at Sanji, pointing at the navigator. "What! But _she _started it!"

Sanji's stare, if anything, only got a touch colder.

"It's all right, Sanji-kun," sighed Nami tragically. "I have to put up with this terrible abuse everyday. I'm used to it."

"No, Nami-san!" Sanji leaned down, one arm around her shoulders in comfort (and if that put him in a great position to see her cleavage and to feel her wonderfully soft shoulders, well, that was purely coincidence). "I'll protect you! Just call me your Prince and I'll keep idiots like him away!"

Luffy huffed indignantly across the table.

Usopp, on the other hand, covered his face, apparently too embarrassed to say or do anything.

"You're so considerate, Sanji-kun," cooed Nami, snuggling just a little against him.

Sanji's entire face went pink-red from pleasure, his cigarette nearly falling from his mouth as he leaned even closer to her, his eyes rolled heavenward at his good luck. "Waa! Nami-swa~n! You're the best!" If there had been a few imaginary hearts before, now they would have been surrounding him like a particularly amorous aura.

"Anyway," coughed Usopp, "where exactly are you going?"

"To Shanks'!" Luffy said with a cheerful grin before anyone else could answer.

"Shanks?" The curly-haired man leaned forward, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That's an unusual name. Actually it sounds a lot like a king who lives across the sea-"

"I know," Luffy laughed, though whether that meant they were off to see the king, or whether the name sounded like that king's name, he didn't say.

"Do you guys know King Shanks?" shrieked Usopp, eyes widening.

"Of course we do! You do too-didn't you just say his name?" Luffy said.

The waiter was too stunned to speak, unsure of what to make of all this.

As if anticipating more interrogation, Luffy looked questioningly toward Zoro to see if he had anything to say. They weren't supposed to let people know who Luffy was, but how were they supposed to explain going to Shanks' otherwise? Luffy never _did _learn how to lie very well...

"We have business in his kingdom - near Cocoyashi, I think," the swordsman said lazily. "It's not that big of a deal."

Usopp settled back in his seat, but he didn't look very satisfied.

Luffy nodded, smiling encouragingly at Usopp. "Yeah, business. Hey! So you've heard of the king there? What've you heard?" He leaned forward, interested in Usopp's storytelling, and any updated news on his friend. He hadn't heard anything clear about him for a long time, even before he'd had to leave Anchor.

"Shanks is amazing!" Usopp waved his hands in the air, suddenly excited. "He used to be a pirate, you know-"

"Yeah! Such a great crew, too!" Luffy joined in the excitement. He knew Shanks had been a pirate, of course-he had heard too many stories to not have, had been there on the ship, knew more about Shanks' pirate life than Usopp probably knew. But it was still fun to hear about something he knew so much about from a new friend who didn't know he knew that.

"Yeah." Usopp rested his chin onto his palm. "I wish I were a pirate…"

"You should be!" Luffy answered cheerfully. "Just get a ship and make a flag and find a great crew and you're there." He paused, then added with a grin, "You can be in my crew when I become the Pirate King."

Usopp laughed a little. "Sure, sure…"

"Hey, hey, but what else about Shanks? I know he was a pirate, but are there any more recent stories? Umm. Just so we don't... go into danger." His explanation was rather weak, but it was obvious that he was honestly interested in current news about the distant king.

"I dunno." Usopp scratched his head. "I haven't read the paper in awhile. There are rumors of him setting sail again, though."

"Setting sail?" Luffy looked surprised and confused, leaning back into his chair thoughtfully. "I wonder why..."

"The world's pirates are getting restless, I think," muttered Usopp.

"Must be the Grand Line," Luffy answered, wistful and a little subdued.

"Maybe so." Usopp leaned back in his chair. "I'm gonna go there someday."

Luffy grinned, but he looked away. "Guess I'll see you there then, huh?"

"Yeah!" laughed Usopp. "That'd be great..."

"Yeah!" Luffy's grin stayed, seeming only a little bit like it was blankly caught there as he found himself looking across the room. His gaze landed on the table that only the day before Usopp had claimed Gold Roger's ghost used to sit at.

Suddenly, Pattie stomped by, smacking Sanji upside the head. "Oi! We're about to open for lunch!"

Being interrupted in the middle of snuggling with a beautiful woman was bad enough, but having the culprit be _Pattie _made it even worse. Standing up, Sanji turned an irritated glower on the cook. "So? You a kid that needs me to hold your hand or something?"

"You're just being lazy," growled Pattie.

"And you're in denial," Sanji snorted, but he moved to leave anyway. Not before turning back to Nami with a curling smile, followed by a questioning glance toward Usopp to see if he was staying at the table or coming with.

Getting up, Usopp gave a jaunty wave. "I have important duties to attend to, bye!"

Luffy snapped out of his reverie to wave cheerfully back, somehow in the movement rediscovering that he still had food. Turning back to his plate, he voraciously continued where he had left off.

Sanji waited for Usopp before he turned to make his way across the room, his crutch a staccato counter-beat to his steps.

The lunch hour picked up speed within ten minutes after their conversation. Nami seemed irritated to have to listen to the constant chatter of customers and the crazy ramblings of the prince, so she took herself outside, saying that she'd be thinking of a way to get a ship. Zoro, meanwhile, sat tilted back in his chair, clearly bored but not in a hurry to give up his spot to go anywhere.

"I hope she finds a boat soon," the swordsman muttered.

"Yeah, me too!" Luffy enthused, smiling brilliantly. "I haven't been on the sea in such a long time... I can't wait!"

"Then the sooner we can get to our destination." Zoro closed his eyes. "I'm kind of tired of hanging around here."

Suddenly, the doors burst open and Captain Fullbody strode arrogantly into the room, one hand placed into his suit pocket, a female friend hanging off his other arm. "I demand to be seated!" he called pompously. Zoro looked up with mild interest at how obnoxious this guy was, even after only saying a few words. He was stunned to find that he'd beaten the all-time record Sanji had set when they'd first met.

Within moments, Usopp had scurried over to Fullbody. "Table for two?" he asked.

"Nice to know you can count,_ waiter,_" came the condescending reply meant to carry across the room. "Did you learn that skill from your Mommy, or your Daddy?"

Luffy turned his attention to the obnoxious customer, his expression blank as he watched the interaction and Usopp's body language.

Rolling his eyes, Usopp didn't even bother to reply as he led them over to one of the tables and handed them menus. "Can I bring you any drinks?"

"I don't know," Fullbody laughed, "_Can _you? I'm sure we'd like to think you're capable of even doing _that _much, wouldn't we, Jenny?" He turned to the woman hanging off his arm, and her dainty laugh joined his deeper chuckles.

"Hey," Luffy said suddenly to Zoro from their table placed unfortunately close to the newcomer's. "What's _his _problem?"

"He's an asshole," said Zoro simply. "I think that explains enough."

Usopp grit his teeth at the snide remark. "Look, I can't bring you any drinks if you don't tell me what you want."

"I heard," Fullbody said innocently to Jenny, "that the mark of a good waiter is one who can tell what the customer truly wants, without the customer needing to say a thing." She giggled lightly at him, her perfectly manicured hand rising to cover her mouth daintily. He paused just long enough for the veiled insult to hang in the air before he turned to Usopp with an exaggerated sigh. "Really, I'm just expecting too much. A bottle of your most expensive wine." The order was given in a tone that implied Usopp clearly should have known what he would want.

"Right," said Usopp grudgingly, turning away and heading toward the kitchen.

"I couldn't be a waiter," remarked Zoro. "Too many people telling me what to do."

Luffy laughed, something about the remark briefly removing his solemnity at the scene as he turned to Zoro. "Wouldn't you normally get ordered around a lot as a bodyguard?" he asked, amused.

Fullbody and Jenny fell to a quiet conversation the moment Usopp walked away, the light laughter of Jenny chiming now and then at something murmured.

"I needed money," shrugged Zoro. "Ace actually got the job for me before he left…he made it sound like it was the best job in the world for me."

Luffy did not look away, the grin widening as a twinkle of teasing mischief appeared in his eyes. "Oh? And so far, is it?" He was clearly too amused for his own good.

There was a faint twinkle in the swordsman's eye. "It could be worse."

The comment made Luffy throw his head back and laugh honestly and loudly, one hand dropping to his stomach, the other unconsciously moving up to hold his straw hat down. "Yeah, I guess it could be, couldn't it?" he managed, closing his eyes in amusement.

Fullbody and Jenny looked over in annoyance, but other than a snide remark about 'scruffy vagabonds' being allowed into the restaurant, he did not bother with them.

At that moment, Usopp came running back into the dining area with an uncorked bottle of wine. "Your drinks, sir," he muttered, pouring a bit into both glasses.

"You already _uncorked_ it?" Fullbody demanded indignantly, looking affronted as he yanked his glass away in the middle of Usopp attempting to pour. "Can't you do _anything_ right? Yasopp was completely useless, but at least he knew how to handle wine properly. Congratulations, kid. I think you're even worse than he was."

Fist clenching at his side, Usopp coldly placed the bottle onto the table with his other hand. "My father never poured any wine for bastards like you."

Fullbody raised his eyebrows, pleased to finally get a response. "Oh?" he drawled, taunting, "You remember him? I was under the impression he was as shitty a father as he was a member of society. Do you remember him, Jenny? Oh, but wait. You'd likely remember him as the dirty drunkard on the corner more than you'd remember him by name..." He turned his attention back to Usopp, looking politely interested even if both knew he was anything but. "So he was around enough for you to know he never poured wine for those above him in life, hmm?"

Usopp's eyebrow twitched. "You don't know _anything_ about my father! He wasn't a drunkard like you! He went off to follow his dreams like the man he is - more of a man than you'll ever be!"

By now, various patrons in the restaurant were staring at this unusual argument as it took place. Many were wary - after all, as often as fights broke out at Baratie, it was highly unusual for staff to get into scuffles with any of the actual customers.

There was a certain tension to a coming fight, something that was easily felt by the staff of Baratie even without the more obvious markers like loud arguments. Several cooks already knew something was happening even before the main room quieted down some and rising voices could be heard through the door. Sanji was the first to stride through the doors, his exit causing most of the cooks to return to what they were doing while a few lingered their gaze on the door as if contemplating following.

Annoyed at being pulled from the kitchen, Sanji was ready to yell at whoever was causing an issue in the dining room when he finally noticed the situation, and who was involved. For a moment he just stood still, thinking that Usopp's slightly harried look earlier when he came for wine suddenly made sense. He had already made his decision to stand behind his friend in case he needed his help when he heard what the conversation was about. That only made him drastically increase his speed.

Fullbody laughed, but the sound was cold. "I think I know more about him than you do, kid." He paused, adding in an obviously falsely sympathetic tone, "Remind me, just _how _young were you when he left you and your mother to rot..? Apparently something 'more of a man than I'll ever be' would do?"

Usopp suddenly slammed a hand onto the table, the wine bottle jostling violently and shattering onto the floor. "Shut up about my father! He has a sense of pride - he didn't just leave us, bastard. He'll come back someday!"

Fullbody smirked, saying in a soft, cruel voice, "Fools never _do _cease to dream."

Sanji made it to Usopp by then, the crutch and cast annoyingly slowing him down just enough that for a moment he thought he would be too late. He placed a heavy, comforting hand on Usopp's shoulder, looking coolly down at the rude customer. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing that concerns you," replied Fullbody smoothly, looking up. "The waiter and I were just having a friendly debate about what a true man encompasses. Though I think you might want to think twice about hiring riffraff to work at such a nice restaurant. Takes away from the atmosphere, I think." He scratched his chin as he took a haughty sip of his wine. "But I guess you don't have much control over the fact that his father was such a sniveling, worthless, drunken, violent piece of-"

The punch came out of nowhere, cuffing the pink-haired man across the face. A collective gasp washed over the onlookers as Usopp shook himself out of Sanji's gentle grasp, Usopp's fist having already cut through the air. Fullbody flew out of his chair, skidding onto the floor.

"If you're gonna talk lies about my father, you should fight me like a man!" he shouted.

Fullbody lifted himself up from the floor, a bit of blood spurting from his nose. His hands trembled as he furiously dusted himself off. "How dare you! How _dare_ you-! You really are no better than your father, that worthless _scum_-!"

Usopp immediately launched himself at the man, tackling him to the floor again. Fullbody gave a strangled cry as the two rolled furiously across the floor, taking wild swings at one another.

"Usopp!" Sanji yelled, rather belatedly, really, but he had been so surprised by the sudden fight that it took him a moment to recover. He moved to haul Usopp off Fullbody, but the two were so tangled as they rolled that it would have been difficult even _with _the use of two legs. With one in a damn awkward cast and a crutch to deal with, all he could do at first was hobble closer and watch for a better opening. They wouldn't be rolling around forever, and truth be told, the man had more than that coming. Still, he had to do his best. "Usopp! _Fullbody! _ Stop it now or I'll stop it _for you!"_

The chef's fierce shouts fell upon deaf ears. Fullbody was already sporting a severely bloody nose and the beginnings of a black eye by the time his iron knuckles cut across Usopp's face, slicing him open. The waiter gave a strangled cry as he reeled back, but that only served to enrage him further, and he delivered a punch to the pink-haired man's teeth.

Growling furiously (because it was great seeing Fullbody get his ass kicked, but watching Usopp get punched seriously pissed him off), Sanji shoved the crutch between the two and wrenched it sideways with his upper arm and body. He refused to use his hands, but at that moment his legs were not entirely useful. The wooden post at the bottom was sturdy and strong, and he shoved it against Usopp's chest and shoulder. It probably hurt him with the sudden blunt force, which was truly regrettable and Sanji would gladly be bitched at later, but Usopp had been the closest and was in the most precarious position right after that punch, as Fullbody had fallen straight to the ground. He just wanted them apart, though, and that was the fastest way he could think of.

"Get up!" Sanji yelled at them again, his tone angry and sharp. "Get off the fucking floor!"

"Stay out of this!" choked Usopp groggily, blood having run into his mouth. "That guy-I'm gonna _kill_ him-!" He tore Fullybody's shirt in an effort to hang onto his prey.

Fullbody landed a kick at the darker-skinned man. "I'd like to see you try, you-you foul mutt!"

"God _damnit!" _Sanji growled, irate, but he stepped back anyway. Usopp was right, he _did _need to stay out of this. It was a fight between those two, and it was Usopp's right to finish it himself. He glared at the two on the ground, knowing full well that this was a fight with pride involved and as such one he could not interfere with.

Yet he was also very aware of the fact that Usopp was brawling in the middle of the dining room, and it would only be so long until enough cooks-or, worse, that shitty old man-showed up that Usopp possibly got in too much trouble to be able to bounce back. Sanji would never let him get kicked out of the restaurant, not if he could help it, but there was only so much he could do for someone that had been 'adopted' by Sanji against Zeff's better judgment in the first place...

Usopp let out a curse as he punched Fullbody again and again before his frame seemed to suddenly sag from a lack of energy. He exhaled shakily, his fist slamming into the floorboard beside Fullbody's head. Everyone in the room watched with bated breath as the young man seemed to have an internal struggle with himself. Although Fullbody was still smacking him around, Usopp seemed to have lost his will to fight back.

"What's wrong?" the pink-haired man screamed. "Can't finish what you started?"

Usopp abruptly yanked himself out of Fullbody's grasp, standing up. He swayed slightly, and a murmur ran through the crowd when it looked like he was about to fall over. "You aren't worth the effort," he spat. And with that, he turned away and began to resolutely head back toward the kitchen.

Fullbody watched him, aghast, before he began to tremble with rage. "Not _worth_ it?" he shouted after him. Suddenly, he ripped the bloodied iron knuckles off his fist and hurled it after Usopp's back.

Sanji had been willing to let the fight run its course, and he did. But the moment he saw Fullbody's parting shot to Usopp's back, he was in motion faster than the pink-haired man's reflexes. He easily whipped his leg up, kicking the knuckles out of the way, and in the same movement dropped to one hand on the ground, tossing the crutch to the side. Bracing himself with the strength in one arm and the other held out in balance, he kicked Fullbody upwards hard in the ribs with his good foot, yelling out, "Cotellete!"

When the pink-haired man started to fly into the air, Sanji twisted and shifted his weight, still supporting himself with one hand but pushing upward to yell, "Selle!" as his good leg slammed into Fullbody's lower back. Normally he would have switched to his other leg for that, but he had to account for the cast. He realized instantly that the next shot _needed _his other leg to work with his current momentum and for him to properly balance, though, and he found his body moving before he had even realized he agreed with its decision. Shoving powerfully with his hands to jump back up, he landed on his good leg, bracing and balancing himself as he was already winding up for the parting shot.

"I think I should mention," he said calmly to Fullbody as his body swung around and his cast-covered leg arched toward his chest, "that you've outstayed your welcome here. _Mouton shoot!" _

Throwing all his strength into his leg and accounting as much as he could for the cast, he felt great satisfaction in listening to Fullbody's painful scream as all of Sanji's considerable force (and the uncomfortable addition of an unyielding cast) slammed into his upper chest, snapping him away with so much momentum that he flew straight through the front doors and continued at least across the street.

Sanji stayed silent for a moment, his leg still held out behind him as he remained balanced as solidly as if he were not standing in an awkward position. He moved to stand back up straight, but as he shifted he became aware of a strange crackling sound that only grew louder as he dropped the cast-covered foot to the ground. Fractures had started in the cast from his foot and were racing upward, arcing around the cast in a random but quick fashion until, quite spectacularly, the entire cast splintered and fell to the ground in shards. Staring down at his now-free leg, Sanji only made a soft noise of mild interest and lit a new cigarette; dragging in a deep, slow breath and definitely enjoying the moment.

Poor little Jenny immediately got up from her chair and hurried outside as the onlookers gasped in wonder. A few even got up and clapped, and a whistle of approval sounded out as Sanji stood triumphant among the pieces of plaster.

Zoro tried not to look too impressed.

"_Wow!" _Luffy yelled, leaning forward with huge, shining eyes. "I didn't know you were so good, Sanji! And look how far Usopp got!" He stopped to laugh carefree, "You're really good fighters!"

Sanji took a moment of blissfulness with just his smoke and the familiar muted burn in his throat, but it was not too long before he turned and bowed slightly to the audience. "I apologize for the interruption. Someone will be out to clean this mess immediately, and in the meantime I hope you continue to enjoy your meals," he calmly told the customers. Walking on a slightly shaky leg, he cast a satisfied smirk in Luffy and Zoro's general direction as he headed toward the kitchen. Pushing the door open, he immediately searched for Usopp, hoping he was still in there.

The man in question was standing at the far end of the kitchen. His form was leaning over the sink, hands gripping tightly onto the counter from both sides, back facing Sanji.

Ignoring the questioning and appraising looks of the chefs watching Usopp, Sanji immediately strode toward his friend.

One of the cooks glanced over as he passed, and noticed the lack of cast. "Sanji!" he said in surprise. "Your-!"

But Sanji did not answer, did not even glance over to acknowledge he had noticed the comment. He stopped only when he was at Usopp's side, and when he finally looked back at everyone, it was to glare as if to tell everyone to mind their own business and leave the two alone. Most of the chefs took the hint and turned slowly back to their cooking, but a few ignored the silent warning and rebelliously continued to watch. Ignoring the few stragglers, Sanji figured that was good enough for the moment and looked down at Usopp. "Hey," was all he said, by way of calm greeting.

The sink's pristine bottom was stained with the steady dripping of blood from Usopp's face. He didn't turn toward Sanji, continuing to stare down into the basin instead. There was a heavy silence.

"Hey," he muttered hoarsely after a moment.

Sanji remained silent at first, having no words that seemed appropriate at the time. But he rested his left hand gently on Usopp's upper back, and glanced away as he grabbed a nearby towel with his right. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed a few chefs still watching with varying levels of interest. Two of them even looked pleased at the turn of events, and it was those expressions that caused Sanji's entire face to darken and single visible eye to glare harshly. "If you have time to gawk, you have time to clean. Go fix up the dining room, _now," _he ordered, looking directly at the two.

They looked indignant, and though a fight seemed imminent with some insults snapped back and uncooperative replies harshly muttered, Sanji just continued to glare until the two finally, grudgingly, stalked out of the kitchen to do as he had demanded. Although many of the cooks felt great resentment toward Sanji, the fact still remained that he _was _Head Cook, and as much as it irked them to obey, when Zeff was not around they ultimately had to. A few of the cooks glanced at Sanji almost sympathetically, though, as it was not universal that he or Usopp were disliked. The rest of the chefs returned to cooking and the level of background noise rose to its normal pitch as the two by the sink were more or less ignored.

Satisfied, Sanji turned back to Usopp and a little belatedly pressed the towel gently against the visible wounds he could see from his angle. He wanted to say something light to make Usopp smile, but he felt like it would be out of place, so he tried to help in silence as he waited to see if Usopp had anything he wanted to say.

Usopp bit his lip for a moment, and his grip on the counter tightened as if the gesture bothered him. But he didn't push Sanji away.

"I hate him," Usopp said through gnashed teeth.

"For good reason," Sanji said mildly, leaning forward slightly so he could see more of Usopp. He shifted the towel to the next closest, most visible wound, and added calmly, "I hate him too."

"He didn't insult your family," said Usopp bitterly.

"That means I can't hate him for hurting my best friend?" he asked, finally lifting his left hand from Usopp's back so he could reach his chin and lightly try to tilt Usopp's face up so he could see better. He continued calmly, his voice soft and honest, "Anyway, you're like family to me, and you work and live in the same home as me. He basically did."

Usopp tried to resist Sanji's pull, but his face was too sore to put up too much of a fight. Even so, his dark gaze wouldn't meet Sanji's, and he closed his eyes suddenly.

Not commenting on him closing his eyes, Sanji just used the new angle to his advantage and continued to gently clean Usopp's face. "He didn't know what he was talking about, you know. He just wanted to piss you off, for some damn reason." He sounded angry at the idea.

"It just makes him feel better about himself." Usopp began to practically tremble with rage. "My father wasn't a drunkard-"

"No, he wasn't," Sanji agreed, pressing the towel lightly against Usopp's eyes while they were closed. He had never met Yasopp personally, only knew him from Usopp's stories that contrasted sharply with the rumors and comments from the citizens of Baratie, but he trusted Usopp's rendition more than everyone else's. Yasopp couldn't have been a bad man, not if Usopp had turned out as good as he had, not if such a good person cared so much about the father that people whisperingly called a deadbeat.

Usopp swallowed hard, and the cloth over his eyes became damp with something much clearer than blood.

Acting as if he did not notice the silent tears, Sanji just held the towel steady for a few heartbeats before shifting it back down to the other wounds, so Usopp could open his eyes again if he wished. After a moment, Sanji felt his mouth pull to the side in a wry smile, and he said, "Luffy was really impressed with your moves. Don't be surprised if he asks you for a few pointers next time he sees you."

In spite of himself, Usopp gave a strained laugh. "I guess I was pretty cool, wasn't I? Now…if I'd have had my slingshot…"

"You would've had even Marimo-head asking for advice," Sanji easily finished the sentence, his voice a little wry, a little purely amused. "As it was, I think he was desperately trying to pretend he didn't see any of the last twenty minutes, so he obviously couldn't be impressed." The last was said with light sarcasm. He paused, then grinned, the expression transferring to his voice. "But you missed the scattered applause and a few standing ovations by the time it was all over. Maybe you should go into dinner theatre. You can entertain people as they eat, and probably get some good tips as well."

"Probably better than tips as a waiter," said Usopp, slightly smiling. "But-" His eyes suddenly trailed down to Sanji's legs, and his eyes widened in stunned silence.

Sanji raised his visible eyebrow, watching Usopp stare at his legs. When he didn't say anything at first, Sanji smirked. "You can stare all you like, but after awhile I start to charge," he drawled, amused.

Blushing furiously, Usopp gave Sanji an irritated glare. "That's not funny," he said. "What happened to your cast?"

"We had a little disagreement and felt some time apart would be beneficial," he answered in that same drawling tone, enjoying watching Usopp be a little off-balanced for less traumatic reasons than the fight with Fullbody.

"I'm serious, Sanji."

Sanji could not make the smirk leave at first, but then he sighed and looked away, automatically searching for a new smoke as he lowered the towel from Usopp's face. "Fullbody was being a nuisance after you left, so I made him go." Placing the new cigarette in his lips, he flicked open his lighter one-handed and lit it, drawing in a deep breath and placing the lighter back in his pocket. Looking back up at Usopp, he calmly finished, "In the... scuffle, my cast happened to fall apart." He paused, shrugging with one shoulder casually. "Probably because it had been on for so long. I'm sure the plaster gets weak after awhile, doesn't take much for it to break."

"You-kicked Fullbody with your injured leg?" asked Usopp, horrified. "Why?"

Sanji looked mildly irritated that the conversation had turned around to discussing this, but he answered anyway. "Look, the asshole threw his fucking _iron knuckles _at you when your back was turned. There was no way he was getting away with that. I tried to account for my cast, but at a certain point momentum and balance dictated I use both legs, so I did." He shrugged. "It's not like it hurt-my leg's felt fine for a long time now, and the cast took most of the impact anyway. Probably did less to me than if I'd used my normal leg. And anyway, now I don't have to go to the doctor and waste time sitting around while they take off a cast I easily got off on my own." He paused then added with a slightly teasing smirk, "I _told _you I could do it myself but you just didn't believe me. So little faith." His soft sigh was nothing but light melodrama.

Usopp stared at Sanji, his eyes still glistening with unshed tears.

Staring back, Sanji wondered if this was working. Usopp still seemed more upset than he wanted him to be, but he had no idea what to say. So he just dropped the bloodied towel into the sink and brought his hand idly up to the cigarette, pulling it away to breathe out a lazy cloud of smoke and tip a few ashes into the garbage. "You up to going back out there, or do you wanna hang around here for a bit more?" he asked by way of subject change.

Looking down toward his boots, Usopp placed his hands into his pockets. "I have a feeling this is going to get me fired."

Sanji shrugged. "Who knows what that shitty old man will say? No use worrying about it, and I'll back you up anyway. You know that. You've earned yourself a lunch break, so why not rest at the table out there while we eat?" He couldn't help the smirk. "It'll give me a good reason to watch those two smart-asses grumble about cleaning up. I've been meaning to make them do some menial work for a while... they keep making snide comments about my presentation. This was the perfect excuse."

Usopp shifted uncomfortably. It didn't seem appropriate for him to go back outside after causing such a scene.

"Or you could eat in here," Sanji added casually when he noticed his discomfort, belatedly returning the cigarette to his mouth, "Or I could bring you some lunch in our room. It's probably quieter in there. Personally, I wouldn't mind hanging out there for a bit."

"That sounds good," muttered Usopp.

Sanji nodded, already turning toward the center of the kitchen where he could start creating the meal. "I'll start making lunch then. Want me to meet you there?" The last was asked purely curiously, there was nothing in his tone that implied he thought Usopp should go ahead. He seemed as welcoming of Usopp staying as he was of Usopp leaving before him.

"I should put some ointment on my face," said Usopp softly. "I hope it doesn't scar…"

"I'm sure it won't, but grab an ice pack while you're here and use the ointment right away anyway. The first aid kit's still in that broken cupboard by the door, you know the one? Just yank on the handle and it'll open. I'll help you when I get in there if you want."

Usopp nodded and headed toward the back door. He paused long enough to turn around and give Sanji a soft smile. "Hey, uh…thanks…"

Sanji grinned. "What for? You're the one that livened up the day and got me out of a doctor's appointment. I should really be thanking _you_."

The curly-haired man snorted and shook his head before disappearing from the kitchen.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The two chefs, Jason and Aaron, were nearly finished with cleaning the mess in the living room by the time Sanji left the kitchen with the food. He glanced at them sidelong but only smirked to himself and innocently ignored their mutinous, sulking glares. Many of the customers had left, already on their way through Baratie the town to hit the markets while the new shipments from the ports arrived. While most of the food and items in the market place were new in the morning, the ships from other areas of the world tended to dock mid-morning to early afternoon, partially due to the schedules of other islands and partially just by coincidence that had built to tradition over time.

As such, there was always an influx of people before and after the major dock unloading, and Sanji was unsurprised to see the dining room relatively empty. In just two hours or so, he knew, they would start to get the early dinner crowd, and they would be busy the rest of the night. One table in particular _did _intrigue him with its emptiness, though, and as he approached his room he was already expecting to hear the voices drifting through the door.

It was a little annoying, he reflected idly to himself, that normal conversations could be heard so clearly through that thick wood. Not that it mattered all that much, as Usopp and he did not have a habit of discussing things that others could not overhear, but being in a room with the door shut gave the illusion of privacy that was not as realistic once the person's voice apparently went a bit over normal speaking level.

He paused outside the door, just in case he was walking into something serious, but all he heard was Luffy going on enthusiastically about how nice it was to see Usopp kick that guy's ass. Smirking to himself, Sanji expertly turned the doorknob with no hands available and using only his arm, and slid his way into the room, pushing the door firmly shut again behind him with his foot.

"-n't think you'd do it, I bet," Luffy was grinning, leaning forward with his legs sloppily crossed and elbows resting on his knees. "But then- _Bam!- _before he knew it, he was on the floor!" Luffy laughed clearly then, obviously greatly enjoying reenacting the scene in his mind.

Rolling his eyes good-naturedly to himself, Sanji set the food on the table near Usopp and moved to the side. "Hmm. Didn't take long to get on _this _topic, did it?" he asked, not expecting an answer, though he definitely sounded amused.

"It was bound to come up," said Zoro irritably as Usopp gave Sanji a grateful look.

"That guy was such a moron, though," Luffy was laughing, comfortably seated on the floor and leaning against the cot. He grinned, not really thinking about what he was saying as he was caught up in the amusement. "He obviously doesn't know Yasopp at all... I mean, yeah, he drinks, but it's not like that's _all _he does, and even when he's drunker than Shanks he could still beat anyone in a fight."

Usopp nearly choked on a spoonful of peas. "What?"

"I said he would still beat anyone in a fight," Luffy repeated innocently. "I mean, well, maybe not a _sword_ fight, since I've never seen him use a sword... But, man! Get some guns, and even Ben'd lose, you know?"

"Did you…" Usopp tried not to get his hopes up, and he willed himself to speak calmly. "Do you know my dad?"

"Yeah, of course I-" Luffy started blithely, though he stopped halfway through and the laughter quieted when he looked suddenly at Zoro with an expression that distinctly said, '_Oh, shit.' _ "I mean... umm..." He trailed off, staring at his bodyguard and asking silently what he should do.

Sanji, who had been watching Luffy with increasing surprise during the conversation, suddenly looked very suspicious. He eyed Zoro harshly, noting how Luffy tended to look to him when their stories weren't working out perfectly. "Just what the hell is going on here?" he demanded. "You actually know Usopp's dad? How?"

"So he met the kid's dad at some point, so what?" barked Zoro gruffly.

"Yeah?" Sanji challenged, his gaze narrow and unrelenting as he met Zoro's eyes. "He suddenly knows so much about Yasopp from one meeting? We're supposed to _believe _that bullshit? And even putting that aside, you people are way too suspicious. Showing up in bandit clothing, having all these holes in your stories that never _quite _get explained. And that's not even _touching _on you and Luffy. What the hell is up with _that, _huh? Come on, I'm interested in the half-assed lie you'll come up with for this one_. _ There's something going on there... it's not normal the way you're so protective of him. Either there's something more going on between you two, or there's a hell of a story you're trying to hide."

Zoro gaped at Sanji. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? 'Something going on between us…' That's ridiculous."

Sanji laughed, though he did not sound amused. "Oh believe me, that is the _least _suspicious conclusion a person would draw from watching you two. Normal people don't growl threats if someone looks at their friend wrong, don't look like they would rather rip the room apart then let him be woken up just because the _real _owners of the room want their fucking bed back. You're constantly watching him; don't think we haven't noticed. And Luffy isn't any better, you know. What kind of guy promises so seriously he'll _immediately _find you the moment he returns? Why does he keep making these comments that he looks to you to cover up, huh? Either you've got so much control over him he's totally whipped, or it's something else. You can try to let us believe whatever you like, but unless you've got some fucked up BDSM Master/Pet thing going here, I'm guessing there's something else you're not letting us in on."

"You're _sick_," hissed Zoro. "Damn sick. You know that?"

"Fine, play that game," Sanji answered, leaning back and crossing his arms. Turning with a harshly mock-innocent expression to Luffy, he said, "Do you want me to go shopping with you for a leash tomorrow too while you're at it, or do you think Zoro won't let you leave with someone so suspicious, someone he doesn't _trust _enough to even move you from a bed?"

Luffy was watching the conversation quietly, his expression unreadable. But when he got brought in with such a question, he just frowned and made himself not glance at Zoro to keep from giving more evidence for Sanji's theory. "It's not what you think..." he said, hedging the issue a bit.

"Oh?" Sanji said immediately, leaning forward slightly. "Then what _is _it, huh?" When Luffy's frown deepened but he said nothing, Sanji just leaned back with dark satisfaction. "Ahh. Should we get some leather to go with your leash?"

"Don't talk to Luffy like that!" Zoro suddenly got up from where he'd been sitting, his form looming over Sanji like a provoked bear. He was outraged - outraged that this guy he barely knew would assume such stupid things about Luffy, would disgrace the prince - and his _friend_ - in such a distasteful manner!

Sanji did not back down before Zoro's anger, in fact he moved forward and reached for his shirt collar to haul him nearer. "Then maybe you should fucking _explain_ what you're doing - what you're possibly pulling Usopp, me, maybe even _Baratie _into! Are you criminals? Maybe pirates, since your precious little friend is so obsessed with Gold Roger? Are the Marines after you or something? Do we need to worry for our lives or are you just being a sketchy bastard for the _fun _of it?"

"You think I enjoy this sort of thing?" growled Zoro, his fists clenching at his sides. "We're going to be on our way soon, and you'll never have to think about us again. So shut up."

"I really don't know _what _you enjoy," Sanji sneered. "At this point I'm not putting anything past you."

"You know what?" Zoro placed a hand over his swords. "If you're gonna be such an ass, we can get out of your hair right now. In fact, I think we will-" He began to turn toward the door.

"N-no!" cried Usopp, suddenly standing. "I want to know what you know about my dad-"

"Damnit!" Luffy yelled, jumping up himself and reaching a hand out to stop Zoro. "Zoro, wait... Sanji's right. We owe them an explanation and..." His voice fell a step, and he found himself looking over to Usopp even as he tightened his hand on Zoro's sleeve. "And anyway, Yasopp told me about Usopp enough for me to know how pissed he'd be if he heard I just walked out on his kid without telling him anything."

The swordsman abruptly turned to the prince, stunned. "L-Luffy…"

"Hey," Luffy said, looking back at Zoro with a soft, only slightly pained smile, "if we can't trust the son of Shanks' sharpshooter, who _can _we trust? And if they wanna do something about it, then we can just deal with it. If nothing else, you can just go tell Shanks sorry or something if I don't make it."

Luffy shrugged unconcernedly. "But they've helped us when they didn't have to, and anyway... It wouldn't be fair for them not to know, you know?" He lowered his voice, adding with a worried gleam appearing in his eyes, "What if something happens like the fire? They'd lose their house and work for some reason they'd never even know."

Zoro barely repressed a sigh in silent, reluctant agreement. "Fine."

Luffy nodded, satisfied, and turned with a serious expression back to Usopp and Sanji, the latter of whom was looking smug that his plan to get the truth had worked. Now that Luffy had said he would explain, he really didn't know what to say, but he at least knew where to start. Turning his attention solely to Usopp, he sat down on the edge of the cot and frowned thoughtfully.

"I guess I should've known who you were when I first saw you, since you look so much like him, and you have the same name as his son he was always telling me about. But I didn't know for sure until that idiot was calling him by name and you got so mad about it. I know Yasopp, because he's been with Shanks since they were active pirates. They used to come to my home-Shanks and his whole crew-and I used to sit with them while they told stories and passed the time."

He paused then added with a grin, "You have no idea how many times I had to listen to stories about you. The man just did _not _shut up, especially not with a few drinks in him." He paused again, not really sure where to go with that and figuring Usopp probably had questions.

"So my mom was right," said the curly-haired man in awe. "He went off to become a pirate after all."

Luffy's grin grew wider, happier. "Yeah, he did. The sharpshooter on my favorite pirate ship... He's a great shot, too. I never once saw him miss, no matter the conditions. He was amazing."

Usopp nodded firmly. "Damn right!"

Luffy laughed lightly, then turned to Sanji with a thoughtful frown as he tried to figure out how to answer his questions too. He really didn't want to tell this part, but he knew there was no way around it at this point. And he was serious before-they really _did _need to give them warning about what they had gotten themselves into.

"As for Zoro... he's actually my bodyguard." Seeing Sanji's eyebrow raise suspiciously, he continued to speak without leaving room for a reply. "I'm... currently on my way toward Shanks' and I needed someone to protect me from assassinations along the way."

He paused only briefly, because the closer he got to admitting his true heritage, the more he realized how much he had enjoyed having no one know, having made friends without his title hanging in the air. But that wasn't important at this point; if anything, the thought was a rather startling epiphany that came just a moment too late. He continued with the explanation, hoping by keeping it to the point and quick he could just get it over with.

"My full name is Monkey D. Luffy... the Crown Prince of Anchor. You've probably heard the country's really unstable right now. My parents hid me and snuck me out and sent Zoro to help me get to Shanks' where I should be safe until we can figure out what to do next." He ended with a one-shoulder shrug.

Sanji just stared, looking between the two with an expression that seemed to say, '_I'm waiting for the punch line here...' _He knew something was being hidden, but the idea of Luffy actually being _royalty _was so laughable that he thought at first that they were just doing a horrible job of trying to cover a lie.

But Zoro's bowed head, set jaw and glinting eyes were a bit more convincing than the chef might have liked.

"So you're going to Shanks'? The _king_, _Shanks_…?" Usopp seemed quite impressed, his mouth hanging open.

"Yeah..." Luffy paused then smiled, "He's my friend. I don't know if he knows we're coming, but I'm sure he won't turn us away."

Sanji looked between Luffy and Zoro, noting especially the swordsman's body language. "-Wait. You're _serious? _ The dark secret you had is that Luffy's a freaking _prince?" _ He stared incredulously at the scrawny kid in the casual clothes and battered straw hat, and didn't know if he wanted to laugh or demand answers that made more sense. He finally settled on the declaration, "There's no _way _he's royalty! I'd even be more likely to believe _Zoro's _a prince..."

Luffy laughed. "Yeah, I s'pose he'd make a good one, huh?" was all he said, grinning.

Sanji just stared at him as if he quite believed Luffy to be insane. Which was really not too far from the truth.

"Look-" Zoro's eyebrows furrowed suddenly as he turned to Sanji. "We told you the truth. Now it's up to you whether you're gonna believe it or not."

Ignoring the two, Usopp's eyes were firmly fixed on Luffy. "So…so does that mean you'll meet my dad, too?"

Sanji snorted. "Yeah, well, the BDSM thing almost made more sense..." he replied, but it was half-hearted and his attention was already somewhat caught by Usopp's question.

Not listening to Zoro or Sanji, Luffy brightened as he grinned at Usopp. "Yeah! I mean, he _should _be there. And, oh! The rest of the crew... You wouldn't believe the crew Shanks has! Well, the friends, since I guess they're only sometimes pirates now." Getting caught up in recounting Shanks and his crew, Luffy leaned forward, enthusiastic. "But there's Lucky Roux and Yasopp and Ben-they're all so cool, too! I really liked Ben, but I hear he's been doing a lot more scholarly work once they settled in the castle. The last few times I got to talk to him, I heard more stories about All Blue than I did about past fights." He sounded as though he could not decide if he was disappointed about this or not.

Straightening immediately at the comment, Sanji's gaze sharpened as he stared at Luffy. "Did you say All Blue?"

Blinking, Luffy looked over. "Yeah! Have you heard of it? Supposedly it's some place-"

"-Where all the water from all the seas comes together, where fish from every ocean can be found in the same sea. The chef's paradise." His visible eye grew wider, a smile consuming his face as he leaned eagerly toward Luffy, suddenly seeming much younger than usual. "All Blue! He's heard of it too, then? What's he doing with it?"

"Trying to figure out the exact location," Luffy replied. "I think it has something to do with One Piece. There are legends, you know. That it's in an impossible place within an impossible place..."

Sanji's grin only grew even wider, his visible eye sparkling with interest. "All Blue..." he said to himself softly. "It _has _to exist..."

"That's fantastic!" laughed Usopp. "Who knew Shanks would be such a great guy? It's such a scandal because he's a king who's also a pirate, but I always figured he'd be cool."

Luffy laughed. "I think almost above all else Shanks enjoys that scandal... It's probably why he's stayed on land so long. And anyway, this way he's a King _and _a Pirate. Next best thing to a title like the Pirate King, huh?" He laughed lightly again, joking.

Usopp laughed. "I'll say!"

The door suddenly swung open. "I hope you're thinking of what you'll say to your Boss when he confronts you about that nasty incident with a paying customer."

Usopp abruptly whirled around in horror. "Z-Zeff!" Sure enough, the large, one-legged chef was standing at the threshold, his arms folded authoritatively over his chest.

Sanji's boyish grin was gone in an instant, replaced by an almost indignant glare. "What're _you _doing in here, you shitty old man? No one gave you permission to enter the room."

Luffy just turned to stare at the man, his eyes growing increasingly larger as he looked up at the man's hat... and up... and _up..._ "Wow!" he exclaimed, impressed. "Your hat is _huge!" _ He apparently had missed the part where Sanji seemed irritated at his arrival and insulted him immediately.

"No one gave you permission to go picking fights with customers either!" barked Zeff, his gaze still locked onto Usopp. "I heard all about what happened. And you know what? I really don't give a damn if the chefs squabble over every other thing and cause a scene in front of the guests, but what you pulled today went too far, Usopp."

The curly-haired man seemed to wither underneath his boss's fierce glare. "Yes, sir."

"Oh, come _on," _Sanji said immediately, narrowing his visible eye. "If you _really _heard about what happened, you'd know what an ass the guy was! We don't need that kind of scum in our restaurant!"

"He had a hungry stomach to feed!" snapped Zeff. "Whatever he said about his father isn't the point - he was _still_ a paying customer! My restaurant is not the place to be settling disputes with guests!"

Sanji opened his mouth then shut it, seeming to think better of what he had been about to say. He paused, then replied belligerently, "He'd already eaten by then."

"No, he hadn't," said Usopp miserably. "I was still pouring him his wine. He hadn't even ordered his food yet."

"Which he didn't pay for, by the way," said Zeff pointedly, "seeing that he'd been brutally beaten by the end of his stay."

"If you're _that _concerned about the money, I can pay for his damn wine," Sanji snapped, glaring at Zeff. "You're right. Anyone with an empty stomach gets fed here. He should not have had to leave before that. But Usopp left him there, perfectly able to still order more food if he wanted. And I don't care _what _you say about not settling fights in here-if he'd said all that shit to you or me we'd've done the same! Probably a hell of a lot sooner, too. But Usopp waited, and he left him alone. _I'm _the one that actually kicked him out of the restaurant without letting him pay, or order, or do anything."

Zeff turned to Sanji. "You kicking him out was different. He threw an iron knuckles at Usopp's back - he was obviously too much of an ass to stick around if he was physically assaulting the staff when the fight was over." He was immediately turned toward the waiter, however. "But _you_ started the attack to begin with because of a few petty insults about a man you don't even know. Your behavior is inexcusable, and you know it."

At this, there was a glint in Usopp's eyes, and he looked at Zeff. "It wasn't just some man - it was my _father_."

Sanji took a few steps closer to Zeff, in a manner that was meant to be intimidating. "Yeah, geezer, what the hell's your _problem? _ Usopp didn't start anything! That ass was here last night trying to piss Usopp off too, but he ignored him. That guy was _purposefully _trying to get a rise out of Usopp, and the only surprise in any of this is how long Usopp kept his cool. I'd've kicked the guy's ass the first time he even _thought _of saying half that shit to me."

"The difference with you is that I actually chose you to work with me," said Zeff impassively. At those words, Usopp swallowed hard and he turned away.

Sanji scowled, taking another few steps forward. "Yeah? Well _I _chose Usopp to work with _me, _and if you chose me than you'd better be fine with who _I _choose."

"You might be senior cook, but you have a lot of nerve to be acting like you're Boss," growled Zeff. "Usopp didn't belong here when you 'chose' for him to come to work, he never belonged here during the past ten years, and he doesn't belong here now. He will _never_ belong here, as far as I'm concerned."

Chin lightly quivering at the harsh words, Usopp's fists clenched as his fingernails dug deeply into his palms.

"Bullshit! He's lived here ten years and _now _you think he 'doesn't belong'?" Sanji demanded, furious. "What the fuck is 'belonging' if it's not being used to the place, calling it home, having spent your _life _there?"

"Belonging means he actually has a job here," said Zeff. "Which he no longer has as of now." Turning to Usopp, he scowled. "I want you and your stuff out of here by tomorrow morning. If I see your face again after the sun's risen, there'll be hell to pay."

"_What!" _Sanji yelled, closing the distance between himself and the owner. "You can't _do _that! He didn't even do anything _wrong!" _ He yanked Zeff forward by the collar, growling straight into his face, "What gives you the _right _to fuck with people like that?"

Zeff peered dangerously at Sanji's hand as it gripped his shirt. "I actually have this restaurant's interests at heart, you brat!"

"What's kicking Usopp out have to do with the interests of Baratie? We'd just be losing our only waiter and a damn good employee over something stupid like an asshole who deserved the beating he got!"

"Waiters are easy to replace." But it wasn't Zeff who had spoken. "He's right, Sanji. I…I really don't belong here anymore…"

Surprised into letting Zeff's shirt go, Sanji whirled around and stared at Usopp. "_What? _You too, now? Don't listen to that shitty old man, you idiot! He's just pissed that he wasn't there for the excitement. He'll get over it. It's _stupid _for you to leave."

"Don't put words into my mouth!" snapped Zeff. "I'm serious about him going. I haven't been more serious about anything since opening up this damn restaurant. It'll be the best thing that's happened to Baratie. You're too attached to him."

Sanji turned back to Zeff, backing up a step so he could see Usopp and Zeff by just turning his head instead of needing to turn his entire body each time. He didn't even know what to say to that. That casual comment hit him far harder than anything he expected from Zeff, and for a moment all he could do was stare in betrayal at his mentor. "I can't believe you're even saying this-" he growled, though the hurt was evident in his voice. "What the _hell _does me being attached to Usopp have to do with Baratie?"

Zeff didn't answer for a moment as Usopp immediately turned away and began to jerkily collect his belongings in stony silence. "It doesn't matter. I'm kicking him out of here either way."

Crossing his arms, Sanji glared murderously at Zeff, but didn't really know what to argue that hadn't been argued. "Where's he supposed to go, then?" he asked instead, challenging.

"Why should I care?" Zeff looked away irritably. "He can go drown himself in the ocean, it wouldn't make any difference to me."

"Stop saying that shit right in front of him!" Sanji yelled, and in his anger, without thinking, he arced around to kick Zeff.

"You guys, stop it!" demanded Usopp suddenly. "It's not worth fighting over like this." He had moved to the closet, removing several articles of clothing. "Zeff's right. It doesn't matter where I'll go."

Sanji made himself stop-partially because Usopp's demand made him realize he was probably not going to help his friend's case by attacking the owner like that on his behalf, and partially because he knew with his still newly healed leg, Zeff would have even more likelihood of winning any fight he started. So he lowered his leg and scowled at Usopp. "Don't be an idiot, of course it matters! What the hell are you planning to do-beg on the freaking _streets?_"

"He could come with us," Luffy said rather abruptly from his place on the cot where he had been watching it all.

Ignoring Luffy, Usopp suddenly turned toward Sanji. "I'd like to think I'm capable of earning money for myself."

Sanji rolled his eyes. "I'm not saying you're incapable of earning money, but what about for today? How are you going to make enough to sleep somewhere tonight? This is ridiculous! What kind of stupid ass plan _is _this all? Kicking you out for no good reason..." He trailed off into an angry grumble.

Clutching a shirt in one hand, Usopp nervously licked his lips, but his gaze turned steely. "I might go out and search for my dad."

He had his mouth open already; planning to combat whatever stupid excuse Usopp would have as to why he should be leaving. But that one... Sanji snapped his mouth shut without realizing it, and just stared.

That was the one reason Sanji could see him go... the one thing Usopp had that he could search for, that no one else could tell him no to, the one person that had been in Usopp's mind since they were kids. His father. And what was Sanji to say to _that? _ As much as he enjoyed having his friend around, as much as he thought this was all bullshit that he had to go because of that asshole-in the end, if it brought Usopp to his father... What was Sanji supposed to _say _to that?

Nothing.

So he looked away, shrugged with one shoulder, and answered in a far more reasonable tone than he had been using lately, "...Yeah, I guess you could." He paused, and added a little firmer. "You _should." _

The darker-skinned man turned to Sanji, and he gave a soft, sad smile. He knew what implications searching for his dad held for the both of them. "I figured you'd understand."

Sanji sighed and found himself unconsciously patting his pocket for a new cigarette. Finding one, he pulled it out and paid great attention to lighting it, making sure he slipped it into his mouth and had a slight nicotine rush before he spoke again. "So." He met Usopp's eyes, and seemed calm, completely opposite of his demeanor just several moments ago. "You're going right away, then?"

Usopp slightly averted his eyes. "I don't have much of a choice."

"Damn right he doesn't," huffed Zeff. "He's leaving tomorrow morning or I'm kicking him out."

Sanji snorted and lost the calmness long enough to glare sidelong at Zeff. "I wasn't talking to _you." _

Ignoring them, Usopp silently took to stuffing his clothes into his duffel bag. "I won't be able to take everything, so I guess I'll be leaving some stuff behind," he said at length.

"Don't worry about it," Sanji answered in a carefully casual tone, waving a hand in a lazily dismissive gesture. "I'll watch over it. Nothing'll happen to it." He paused, then added, "It'll still be here when you visit again. To show your dad the best restaurant in the world."

Zeff scowled. "You're leaving as soon as the sun rises, and don't think you're gonna work here ever again. Sanji, if I catch you working at all tonight, I'm gonna kick your ass, so you just stay out of sight, you hear me?" He made his way over to the door and hobbled outside, the door swinging shut behind him.

"What the fu-?" Sanji started to demand irately, the cigarette dangling from his lips as he rounded indignantly on Zeff. But the man was already gone, the shutting door a very final end to the conversation. Scowling, Sanji muttered darkly to himself, "Thinks he can order me around like a damn _slave..." _

And though he was irritated that Zeff had continued with the demands right after deciding to kick out his best friend, at least this gave Sanji an excuse to help Usopp pack. And. Well... it gave him an excuse to be there. He was just angry that he needed a damn excuse at all, angry that the situation had turned to this for no damn reason. But at least Usopp was getting something out of it. At least this was Usopp'sexcuse to follow a dream he'd had for as long as they'd known each other. The dream of his father, and the legacy he left behind.

Sighing, Sanji turned back to Usopp and crossed his arms. "Alright. So... it looks like we got a lot of shit we need to do tonight. Do you need any..." And here he had to pause, because it was only slowly sinking in that Usopp was leaving, actually _leaving, _as in, not leaving-for-the-day-see-you-tonight, but I'll-probably-never-see-you-again-have-a-good-life-_Leaving. _ "Any help?" And he was proud, at least, that his voice was fairly neutral at that, even if his expression was probably less than pleased.

Eyebrows furrowing a little, the swordsman realized they might be intruding on an already tense situation. "C'mon, Luffy," he muttered. "Maybe we should go out and find a ship or something."

Luffy nodded, flopped his legs back and forth a few times, then suddenly jumped up. "Alright." He scooped up his backpack and the bag he had stuffed his old clothes in, but paused before moving. "Should we come back here for you, Usopp, or do you wanna meet us somewhere else?"

The former waiter suddenly turned to the prince. "Wh-what?"

Luffy blinked, wondering if he had asked something other than the incredibly simple question. "I asked where we were meeting up?" he clarified questioningly, looking at Usopp rather strangely. "Unless you just wanna surprise us or something, but I'm not sure how that'll work. Zoro and I might get lost, and who _knows _how you'll find us then." He paused, considering this with a sudden laugh. "I guess we may not even make it to some meeting place anyway, huh? Maybe it _should _be a surprise... It may be easier for us to find a place we're not looking for, then a place we think we'll find."

Usopp shook his head, as if he wasn't hearing correctly. "You're…asking me to go with you?"

If possible, Luffy looked at Usopp even more strangely. "...Yeah," he drew out, staring at Usopp as if he secretly wondered if he was a being from another planet, and possibly female besides. "Well, I already mentioned it but you ignored me. So now I'm telling you again." He shrugged lightly.

The other man's eyes glistened some. "That's-_fantastic_!" He laughed. "We can have an adventure together!"

"Yeah!" Luffy exclaimed, happy that Usopp understood. "And you'll get to meet Shanks-he's the _best, _he really is! And ships are way easier to handle with three people instead of two..." He laughed, excited. "We can start our pirating days today!"

"You mean…you're leaving _today_?" asked Usopp, eyebrows rising.

"Today, tomorrow, whenever," Luffy said airily, waving a hand as if to dismiss silly things like details. "But Zoro and I are gonna look for a ship, and that's already a start, isn't it? It'll be like a pirate ship, even if we aren't pirates yet." He grinned hugely.

"That sounds fun!" Usopp gave a sad grin. "But I gotta pack for now."

"That's fine," Luffy said cheerfully, as if he had no clue this could be something painful for Usopp. "We'll be around town, and if we don't see you we'll just stop back here." He paused suddenly, thoughtful. "Hey, since you don't have to leave till sunrise, does that mean we can stay here again tonight?" He let the bags half fall to the ground at the question, pleased with the idea of not having to carry them around with him.

Sanji raised his visible eyebrow, not sure if he was irritated or vaguely impressed by the ignorant optimism. He felt a little left out watching them make plans for a day that would be the beginning of a new adventure for them, but just another day of routine for him. Part of him wanted them all to feel really upset about going, but another part had to acknowledge that it wasn't _their _fault his pseudo-mentor had suddenly decided to mess with Usopp and him.

Still, he shrugged uncaringly at the question, leaving it up to Usopp to decide if he wanted their company or not. He didn't care if they stayed. There was no point in kicking the idiots out for one night-they'd probably do something stupid and it would somehow come back to him and _he'd _get in trouble for not being there to watch over them. And anyway, this was probably the last time he would ever have good friends available to stay the night.

As talented, determined, or ruthless as the chefs may be at Baratie, they were not exactly his friends, and with Usopp gone he would lose the only benevolent ally he had ever had. Whatever the Owner was, he was not exactly thrilling to be around, and was less than complimentary in his words. And he was the _best _Sanji had to work with. Keeping these thoughts off his face, though, he only looked blandly at Usopp to see if he cared if the idiots stayed the night.

"This isn't my room anymore," muttered Usopp, interrupting his thoughts. "So it's really up to Sanji."

"Ex_cuse _me?" Sanji demanded a little churlishly, his cigarette tipping down as he looked indignantly at Usopp and gestured to the window. "Does it _look _like the sun has fucking risen already?"

Usopp withdrew slightly, and his frame seemed to only get smaller at the outburst. "No."

"Then stop pretending you have no responsibility and hoisting the decisions off on me," came the stern reply. Sanji looked at Usopp with his eyes narrowed-not in anger, but in intensity. "This is still your room for the moment, and no matter _what _that ass of an old man says, it's still your room even after you walk out that door tomorrow morning. Got it? If you're ever back in town, you stay here. This is _Your. Room. _So don't try weaseling out of answers when it's convenient for you. If you're fine with them staying here, I'm fine with them staying here. End of story."

"All right then," said Usopp, frowning some. "That's all I really needed to know…"

Sanji looked at Usopp as if he didn't know if he was being sarcastic or uncomfortable, but instead of pressing the issue he just sighed. "Seriously, Usopp. Ignore that idiot, alright? There's no need for you to feel uncomfortable in your own damn home. Think of this as some... deserved vacation or something. You get an extended leave of absence, with the extra bonus of getting out of all cleaning duty." He paused, raising his visible eyebrow. "Really, you win in this deal."

Usopp didn't look like he entirely believed him, but he managed to nod anyway.

"Anyway," said Zoro loudly so he would be heard, "we're gonna go looking for a ship, and we'll be back later.

"Yep!" Luffy agreed cheerfully, thankfully dropping his bags to the ground again and pausing just long enough to swipe his money bag from the backpack. Nami had been nice enough to lend him some extra Beli after their shopping trip the day before, so now he had spending money and should not, she had pointed out rather sternly, be getting in trouble as much.

It was nice to feel the weight of money again, and once more Luffy was a little bemused to think how the stuff had meant nothing to him back in Anchor when he had everything available to him at the slightest sign of interest, yet out here he had to find ways to scrounge for even a single Beli. Not for the first time, he thought that he and Zoro should _definitely _have grabbed some money from the vault before they left.

"See you later," grunted Zoro, and he left the room, the prince at his side.

Sanji turned his attention back to Usopp, just watching him for a few moments, as if waiting for a cue or a hint at what he should do. "Just leave whatever you want in your dresser," he said after a brief silence, "I'll make sure nothing happens to it."

Usopp gave an awkward smile as he looked back at Sanji, suddenly remembering all of the times they shared and the kindness the blond had shown him through the years. "You're a good friend, Sanji."

Rather surprised by the comment, Sanji forgot to look away at first as he just stared with widened eyes and the lightest of color gracing his cheeks. He managed to regain his composure quickly, though, looking away with forced nonchalance as he shrugged and willed the stupid blush to leave. "I don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled, surly, and moodily inhaled deeply through his cigarette as he looked for something to distract himself with.

But Usopp wasn't fazed. "Of course you do. Do you think you can keep that façade up after sharing a room with me for ten years?"

Sanji stared very intently at the bedcovers, and tried to pretend that his blush had not just deepened. "...You're insane," he insisted, trying for grumpy and only partially succeeding. He was embarrassed by Usopp's simple declarations, at the same time that he could not deny how happy it made him feel to hear.

The curly-haired man managed a thin smile, amused at how shy the cook could be sometimes despite how outgoing he was when any female was in the room. "I'm just sorry I could never do enough to return what you've done for me."

Sanji scowled at the bed as he realized Usopp was not going to be deterred from this conversation, but he had to admit that... well... why _should _he be? They may very well never see each other after that night. If Usopp had something to say, when the hell was he supposed to say it except at that exact moment? It just reinforced that Usopp was Leaving For Good, and that alone made Sanji sigh heavily (as if quite put-out but willing to deal with it anyway) and finally he dragged his gaze back to his soon-to-be-former roommate's.

"Like I said. Insane. Certifiably, maybe. You've done plenty, and it's not like I was keeping track anyway. Besides, what's all this great stuff I've supposedly done that you supposedly never paid me back for?" The question was meant to be rhetorical, but in retrospect he thought it sounded a little more like a challenge.

Usopp shifted uncomfortably. "You got me a job. You gave me a bed to sleep in. You gave me food." His dark eyes averted. "And," he choked, "you became the only family I had."

"So?" Sanji challenged, "You could've easily gotten all those things on your own. I just beat you to it and let you be lazy." That was said lightly, though he remained serious as he sighed. "Look, for what it's worth, whatever you may think you didn't pay me back for, you're my family too. That alone is enough. But you've been my best friend for half of my life now... how the hellwould that _not_ be enough that you gave back? And anyway," here he looked away again, proud at how his voice remained calm, "it's not like I'm your only family. Did you forget you're off to find your dad? You've always had him-in memory and stories before, and now a chance to meet him in person."

_More than I've had, _he couldn't help adding to himself, irritated at the thought yet unable to deny it. At least Usopp _remembered _his parents. At least he knew they existed. His own earliest memories involved chefs in another kitchen, and the only father figure he had ever even heard of was the Owner Zeff. Usopp's mother may have died on him, but at least he'd had her for a while. At least he had memories of her. At least he knew for certain she had not abandoned him. He said none of this, though, because there was no point. Usopp was already going to feel bad enough about getting kicked out of the restaurant; there was no reason to make him feel worried about something else besides.

As if sensing his thoughts, Usopp timidly rested a hand on Sanji's shoulder. He opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. "But Sanji," he said at length, quiet as if it was difficult for him to say this, "you…did more for me than my father ever did."

Sanji was trying very valiantly to keep the emotional distance, for reasons he did not entirely know himself other than that it was habit, and he did not want to break it the last night. If he did something stupid or embarrassing tonight, that would be the last thing Usopp would remember about him, and that would just be even more embarrassing to think about in the future than it would be that night alone. But... the stupid idiot was making it so difficult!

"Damnit, Usopp," he growled, his hand rising automatically toward the weight on his shoulder, though he didn't know what for. He knew he had no intention of knocking Usopp away, so he just let his arm hover and, with a sigh, dropped his hand on top of Usopp's. He tilted his head toward the ground, letting the cigarette dangle from the corner of his lips as he allowed his long blond bangs to shadow his face and cover his expression. "...I don't want you to go," he said finally in a soft voice, because he could not think of anything else to say.

"I figured I'd leave someday," mumbled Usopp, aware of how tense his friend was. "I…just didn't realize it'd be this hard." Although he knew the thought was silly, he had always pictured Sanji at his side as they rode off into the sunset, looking for adventure and seeking to fulfill both of their dreams. The idea of leaving the young chef behind was almost unbearable, as if it was somehow…_wrong_.

With a humorless smile he realized Usopp probably did not see, Sanji nodded to himself. "Yeah, guess I knew you'd go some day too. I just figured there would be more... warning." That was all he had really needed. Warning. Having it come out of nowhere like this was what was making it difficult; that was all. He felt like an idiot for being so upset that Usopp was going, and yet the more he tried to deny the feeling, the stronger it got. So it was the lack of warning's fault. That was all.

At that moment, Usopp's arms timidly encircled the chef, pulling him into an awkward, clumsy hug that he honestly didn't expect Sanji to return. Out of all the years they had known each other, Usopp could count on one hand the number of times they'd actually embraced. He recalled that one instance involved a skirt, a chair and far too much alcohol, and there were other times that they had been playfully dancing during times of festivity of when they managed to pull off some incredible feat together.

But Usopp knew this time was different, because it might be the last time he'd ever get to do this. He made sure to deeply inhale the scent of cigarette smoke that clung to Sanji's shirt, taking in the rare moment.

Sanji initially tensed at the touch, looking down at Usopp's curly mass of black hair and the bandana constantly trying to tame the unruliness. He did not return the hug at first, but then he noticed Usopp's deep breath and it made him laugh softly in spite of himself. What was he doing?

Still, it was enough to soften his mood and with a rather helpless sigh, he lightly rested one arm across Usopp's shoulders in a half return of the hug, and dropped the other hand on top of Usopp's ever-present bandana. He let his forehead drop to rest against his fingers, letting out a deep breath that got caught between his chest and Usopp's forehead. He smirked to himself and murmured, lightly teasing and amused, "I hate to break it to you, but secondhand smoking doesn't look _nearly _as cool as firsthand."

Usopp gave a small laugh, the light flush of his cheeks obscured by Sanji's shirt. "Sometimes you smell so nasty, but some days…it almost makes me want a cigarette, too."

Sanji pulled his head up so he could properly grin wickedly down at his friend. "Yeah? Wanna try one right now? Peer pressure, peer pressure, you know you want to..." He paused, and added with a bit of mock crossness, a bit of haughtiness, "And I have never in my _life _smelled 'nasty,' I'll have you know."

The younger man gave a sudden snort. "Oh, excuse me, my mistake." A pause. "And, no, I don't want a cigarette. Smelling you is as close to smoking as I want to get. Besides, I took a vow when I was five years old that I would never do such a thing. I belong to the Holy Order of Desert Monks, you see, and we don't like that sort of thing."

Sanji laughed. "The hell you did! You didn't even know what a cigarette was when you were five."

"Yes, I _did_," said Usopp indignantly. "Anyway, I'll just let you do the smoking for both of us."

"Whatever you say, Usopp," Sanji replied, with exaggerated teasing indulgence in his voice. "That's fine, though. More smokes for me."

A strangely comfortable silence lingered between them for a moment as they basked in one another's company before Usopp spoke again. "Sanji..."

"Yeah?"

The younger man took a deep breath, but it wasn't to smell the cigarette smoke. "I…"

Sanji blinked and started to pull away a little so he could see Usopp better. Given his hesitancy, it must be something fairly important. "What?" he asked, more to prompt Usopp to continue than out of any impatience to get the rest of the sentence.

A fleeting moment went by as Usopp averted his eyes from Sanji's intense gaze. "I wanted to say that I-I…love…" He swallowed hard, becoming hung up on that simple word for a second. Then, his demeanor changed, and he sadly looked up at the blond, laughing some. "I love the way you cook. I'm really gonna miss that."

Sanji looked a little confused at first-what was with that sad look? Well, Usopp _had _always rather been a fan of his food. He supposed it would be sad to leave his gourmet cooking for the unknown. He grinned and ruffled Usopp's head teasingly, even if it did little but wrinkle his bandana. "Yeah, well. I'd like to think at least _some _of my genius has rubbed off on you over the years..."

"Of course I'm a genius," said Usopp pompously, suddenly cracking a wide grin.

Sanji smirked and pulled away completely. "If you'd been listening, I was calling _myself _a genius, not you. You're my trusty sidekick."

"Trusty sidekick?" he asked, frowning some. "What makes you say that?"

"You're obviously not suave enough to be the superhero," Sanji answered a bit haughtily as he straightened his tie and smoothed his tuxedo, though there was a twinkle in his eye.

"I am too suave," shot back Usopp, indignant. "You just are blind to good taste."

Sanji laughed. "Oh, really?" he asked, sounding a bit like he was humoring Usopp. "Give me an example, then, of your suaveness."

"There are far too many examples to list!"

Laughing again, Sanji answered only, "Cheater."

The smile faded from Usopp's face, and he sheepishly stuffed his hands into his pockets.

The grin staying on Sanji's face, he just shook his head and could not resist ruffling Usopp's hair through the bandana. "Ahh, maybe _I'm _the trusty sidekick after all. Only the hero gets to have that mysterious expression, huh? Guess we just have to make it go away." He stepped away and turned, surveying the room thoughtfully. "Want me to help grab stuff, or am I helping with the actual packing?" It wasn't that he was trying to get Usopp out of there faster by offering to pack again, but he didn't know what else to distract Usopp with that did not involve memories that would just make this more painful.

"Either works," muttered Usopp, smiling slightly at the cook. "It'd be nice if we had a genie who could do it for us."

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Sanji said a little absently. He paused, then looked back at Usopp, frowning slightly. "Hey, Usopp... I really don't know how to make this easier. Tell me what I should do and I'll do it, but right now I feel like I'm as likely to make it worse as I am to make the night better."

Pausing, the curly-haired watched Sanji in stunned silence. "Just being here makes this easier for me," he said at length. He lightly rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe you should look for some of my stuff."

Sanji smirked slightly and nodded mostly to himself. "I think I can handle that." He glanced sidelong at Usopp as he moved to do just that, unable to keep from teasing him again. "You always leave such a mess, it's not like it's hard to find anything of yours."

"Hey, like you're one to talk," snorted Usopp. "At least I don't leave women's underwear lying around."

"Ahh?" Sanji drawled, crouching by the dresser as he gave Usopp an amused Look over his shoulder, "Are you saying I'm careless with my souvenirs, or is this some veiled implication that I wear women's underwear?"

His friend gave an innocent smile. "Why should I know?"

Sanji rolled his eyes, but he was grinning as he turned back to the dresser and yanked the top drawer open. "Careful, Usopp. I'm about to dig my way through your drawers... you wouldn't want to alienate the person who may find your most embarrassing secrets hidden between your socks and slingshots."

"I have nothing to hide," declared Usopp solemnly.

"Yeah, yeah, big talk, but we'll see about _that _by the end of the night, won't we?" The grin could still be heard in his voice, even if his expression was hidden by the fall of his hair and the angle of the dresser.

Slowly rolling up his sleeves, Usopp sighed. "Looks like we have our work cut out for us."

"Maybe this would be easier if you didn't have so much crap," Sanji teased, pulling some clothing from the drawer as he automatically ran through his mind if he had seen Usopp wear it often so he could judge if he wanted it packed.

Usopp immediately went back to the closet, stuffing a few things into his duffel bag. "Thanks for your help," he muttered softly.

"Heh, you expected any less?" He sounded amused and serious at the same time, pausing to start a pile of clothes for the trip while the rest were placed back in the drawer. "You don't need to thank me, you know. It's not like it's a problem or I would be anywhere else right now."

"Still." The curly-haired man briefly glanced back at him. "I appreciate it."

"Well," another brief pause as Sanji closed the top drawer and started on the next. "Don't worry about it. You're welcome."

Watching him for a moment, Usopp turned to his duffel bag once more. He thought of all of the sights he was going to see, all the adventures he was going to embark on. But no matter how many exotic places he visited, he knew he'd never find anyone like Sanji ever again.

Despite this somber train of thought, the rest of the evening seemed to float by in a companionable silence.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Baratie the town was still full of wonders to Luffy, even if he had already spent hours in the market.

For one, Nami and Zoro were _completely _different to shop with. While Nami was obsessed with the clothing stores and haggling or manipulating down to the best price, Zoro was more content to wander aimlessly as they searched for their ship. Although the main street with the shops and markets was a few blocks away from the port, there were still stores close enough to provide distractions. Luffy kept wandering away from the water when he noticed something interesting on a stand or in a window, not even noticing that he was slowly getting further from the docks. He was really excited about finding a ship, but they had all day and there were just so many funny things to see!

"Zoro! Zoro! _Look!" _Luffy exclaimed, laughing brightly as he held up a mechanical monkey that, when wound up, shifted its feet up and down with a whir and clanged quiet cymbals. "If you set it down, it even walks!"

The swordsman watched one of the toys waddle about in silence, his eyebrow rising. "You act like you've never seen anything like that before."

Luffy looked back at the monkey, surprised. "Have I?" he asked, as if Zoro should know what he had and had not seen in the course of his life.

Zoro looked at Luffy, mildly curious. "Well, you're a prince, right? I'm sure you grew up with all sorts of weird toys."

Luffy laughed. "Yeah, but not fun ones like this! They would have thought this was too 'commonplace' for me or something." He said 'commonplace' in his best Haughty Prince Tone, the one that amused him to use. He picked the toy up and turned it all around, scrutinizing it with almost childlike glee. "I bet this breaks down really easily, right? And it barely costs anything. Way too cheap which is why it's so great!" He briefly glanced back up at Zoro with a huge grin.

For a moment, the green-haired man watched as Luffy continued to examine the toy as if it were some sort of rare treasure. It was funny how someone who had grown up with only the best of everything would take such interest in a simple toy. His lips softly quirked before he looked up to the store owner, slightly raising a hand. "I'll take one of these."

Ignoring the store owner's immediate reply with the price, Luffy turned thoroughly startled eyes on Zoro, the toy monkey not forgotten as he unconsciously curled his fingers around it, pulling it closer to his body as if to protect it.

"Wha-Wait.." he started, blinking huge eyes in shocked confusion. "I.. can have it? The monkey?" Part of him doubtfully thought that maybe Zoro wanted it for himself, and he almost hadn't wanted to ask if it was for him. He held it even closer to himself without realizing it, as if to keep Zoro or the store owner from snatching it away.

Zoro snorted at the prince's initial shock. "What, you think I'd buy that for myself?"

"I don't know," Luffy answered, still staring at Zoro with the same surprise. "You mean.. I can really keep it?" And slowly his solemn, startled expression gave way to a brilliant grin that started from nothing and grew until it threatened to overwhelm his face. "The monkey is mine?" He had to ask again, just to be sure, just to be certain he wasn't misunderstanding.

"It's completely yours," affirmed Zoro gruffly. "No strings attached."

The grin turned nearly blinding as he closed his eyes with happiness. "Ahh, _thank you_, Zoro!" he exclaimed sincerely, and could not keep from throwing himself at Zoro for a brief bear hug. He was gone almost before he was there, though, jumping away to enthusiastically talk about his new toy. "I should name it! And I can keep it by my bed and _oh_!-wouldn't it be cool if it were attached to an alarm? Then when you had to wake up in the morning, you would open your eyes to see the monkey walking past!" He laughed at the thought, staring down at the mechanical monkey as he walked down the street without looking where he was going, or even making sure Zoro was following.

The bodyguard dutifully followed after him in silence, a pleasant flush coloring his cheeks all the while.

The mechanical toy kept Luffy's attention for a surprising amount of time, but he was bound to lose interest eventually. Carefully placing the toy in his pocket (he couldn't decide on a name yet, though he was seriously considering 'Monkey'), Luffy finally looked up at his surroundings.

The river stretched vast and blue to their right, crowded little houses and shops pressing against the banks far into the distance. To their left, merchants called out their wares to the reception of laughter and haggling, protests and assents. People pressed against the street like the houses to the river, but very few had wandered their way down the alley Luffy and Zoro had chosen. Around them, Baratie was alive with movement and sights, smells and sounds, but where they were it was quiet and still.

Ships bobbed gently as the wind picked up, pressing the waves against the docks with small splashes. The sun was overwhelming, and the clouds against that clear blue sky were like a mirror reflection of the froth pooling in the vividly blue river. Luffy could not look away from the water, and without realizing the feeling of nostalgia and peace had transferred to his face in the form of a content smile, he turned to Zoro and said softly, "I love the sea, don't you?"

Zoro shrugged. "I guess. I haven't been around it much, so..."

"It's the best!" Luffy said, the smile stretching into a grin while he closed his eyes happily and placed a hand on his hat. "You need to go on it more, then! We'll spend lots of time at sea, okay?" He stopped suddenly, eyes opening as a thought occurred to him. "Oh! And then I can show you how long I can hold my breath!"

"Hold your breath?" Blinking, Zoro looked down at the prince. "Underwater?"

"Yep!" Luffy grinned brightly, obviously proud. "Shanks used to tease me for being bad at swimming, so I practiced all the time. I'm still only okay, but I've gotten really good at holding my breath! Everyone I show says they've never seen anyone better." He closed his eyes again, pleased.

"Well, that's good if you aren't great at swimming," remarked Zoro, his hands sliding casually into his pockets as he glanced over at the water.

Luffy opened his eyes to stare at the river himself and did not reply at first. After a moment of silence, he turned his grin back to Zoro. "I'll show you sometime, alright? You'll be really amazed! But let's go eat right now... I'm hungry, aren't you?"

The bodyguard smiled a little. "Sure."

"Great!" Without waiting to see if Zoro would follow, he turned very decisively in a random direction and wandered off looking for something tasty to eat. Although there were plenty of vendors nearby, none of them had food. Passing the toys and jewelry and souvenirs, Luffy took an abrupt right and continued confidently even though he had no idea where they were.

Filled with little tourist shops crammed between a few stores designed for locals, they managed to arrive on another empty street. Several shops had souvenirs and 'authentic' jewelry of the area displayed proudly in windows, while the other stores seemed centered on books, clothing, or basic necessities. There were no restaurants nearby, which greatly disappointed Luffy and his grumbling stomach-at least, until he looked to his left and noticed a small ice cream parlor just four stores down and across the street.

Gasping in excitement, Luffy unthinkingly grabbed Zoro by the hand to pull him with in his mad dash across the street. "Look, Zoro!" he called out happily, only skidding to a stop once they made it to the ice cream parlor. He dropped Zoro's hand so he could point excitedly through the window at the displayed ice cream. "I bet we could get almost any flavor we wanted here! What kind do you want?" He turned to his bodyguard with an expectant, pleased grin.

Stunned, Zoro's eyes roamed across the vast list of flavors that was taped to the pristine window. "What kind do I want?" he echoed.

"Yeah, of ice cream," Luffy clarified blithely. He paused suddenly though, blinking curiously at Zoro and the lost look he had while studying the list. "Wait.. have you ever had ice cream before?"

Zoro paused, casually glancing at a little boy who scampered past them. "No," he muttered.

"Hmm..." came the solemn reply, and Luffy lost his smile as he peered very intently and thoughtfully at his bodyguard. He focused primarily on his face, his gaze searching across Zoro's eyes and cheeks and mouth as if he were determined to find an answer there.

His gaze shifting over to the prince, Zoro tried to look less unnerved than he felt. "What?"

"I'm trying to decide your flavor," Luffy answered seriously, frowning a little in thought. He blinked, and the seriousness disappeared as he smiled easily, the intensity leaving his expression but not his determination. "If this is your first ice cream, it should be something you like, right?" Turning back to the list, he hummed thoughtfully. "What sort of things do you like? Chocolate? Vanilla? Strawberries?" He glanced over at Zoro again with a grin. "You seem like more of a vanilla person to me, but that's way too boring for a first ice cream cone."

"Vanilla sounds pretty good." Zoro seemed to ponder the list for a moment. "But I'll bet it would taste better with rum in it."

Luffy burst out laughing, but he pushed the door open and reached back to pull Zoro inside. Wandering over to the counter, he tugged his bodyguard along until they were at the display and he dropped Zoro's hand to lean against the glass with wide eyes. "Woww... it all looks even better close up!" He nearly drooled at the sight.

A girl about Zoro's age suddenly appeared from a back door, looking startled and flustered to find them there. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't hear you come in!"

Grinning widely up at her, Luffy waved a dismissive hand. "It's fine, it's fine," he laughed, leaning away from the glass and pointing toward the ice cream. "More importantly, can we get vanilla with some rum in it?"

"Well, we have vanilla ice cream," said the girl with a quirked eyebrow. "And...we do have some rum in the back..."

"Great!" Luffy said happily, slamming his fist into his palm. "So it's settled, then! Umm, we'll have a cone of that, and I wannnt..."

He had to look at the list and ice cream again, but he finally decided, "a cone with a scoop each of mint chocolate chip, and cherry, and chocolate marshmallow, and butter pecan." Without waiting for her reply, he turned to Zoro with a cheerful grin. "You'll really love ice cream-it tastes so good and it's nice and cool."

Within moments, the girl handed them their orders, and Zoro silently paid for it. With a grimace, he noticed that they were almost out of the spending money Nami had given Luffy earlier in an attempt to keep him out of trouble.

Oblivious to their dwindling money supply, Luffy beamed at his ice cream as he wandered blissfully out of the store. He waited for Zoro once on the street, though, turning to him and holding his cone out carefully so as not to unbalance the precarious scoops. "Wanna try the different flavors I have?" he asked, smiling.

Zoro had already begun licking at his own discolored scoop, but he gave a shrug anyway. "Sure."

"What's yours taste like?" Luffy asked curiously as he held the strange combination of ice cream out to Zoro. "I've never seen anyone put vanilla and rum together before."

"Here." Zoro held the cone out for Luffy as he awkwardly leaned forward and gave Luffy's ice cream a lick. The extreme heat had already taken its toll on the tasty treat, and the scoops were beginning to melt together. He wrinkled his nose slightly as he pulled back; the taste was definitely unusual.

Already trying the vanilla and rum ice cream (just a little lick, because he didn't drink but this was mostly ice cream with just a little rum added), Luffy looked over just in time to see Zoro wrinkle his nose.

"No, no," he laughed, waving a hand as if to fend off Zoro's actions. "Try them separately first! I like weird combinations... most people would think that tastes bad." He was thoroughly amused by his bodyguard. As for Zoro's ice cream, it tasted... odd. Not bad, really, but not something he would probably choose himself.

"You should eat your ice cream faster," said Zoro gruffly. "It's melting." Any seriousness he possessed was rendered useless by the fact that he unknowingly had ice cream smeared across his lips.

Luffy laughed a little harder, doing his best to continue to balance the melting ice cream. It was true; the ice cream was starting to drip all over his hand and soak into the cone, but he didn't care. "Of course it's melting, it's really hot out."

Luffy insistently pushed his ice cream closer even as he placed his free hand gently against Zoro's hand curled around the vanilla-and-rum cone and pushed lightly away. "That's why you should try them now instead of arguing with me." He held his cone up a little higher so Zoro would not have to be in such an awkward position, but he could not stop grinning and his eyes were positively shining with mirth.

Sighing, Zoro reluctantly began to try each scoop at a time, though he felt the whole ordeal was pointless. "It's getting on me," he complained. Sure enough, quite of bit of the vanilla treat was beginning to melt onto his hand.

Laughing again, Luffy finally took pity on Zoro and pulled his own messy ice cream back and started trying to control the melting by strategic licking. "That's what makes eating ice cream in the heat fun," he declared cheerfully as he paused, holding his hand at an angle so the melted liquid could drip to the ground instead of on his clothes. "It's like a race!"

"It's messy," said Zoro pointedly, licking stray droplets off of his hand before moving up to the actual scoop.

Luffy laughed. "So? Does it taste good?"

"Yeah," he grunted.

Luffy grinned widely, taking a huge lick of his ice cream. "Then who cares if it's messy?" He did not entirely expect an answer but looked at Zoro nonetheless. He was greatly amused to watch a strong, competent bodyguard and swordsman, a determined, controlled, and self-sufficient man complain that the ice cream was messy and dripping onto his hand.

Apparently eager to get the whole affair done with, Zoro chomped down the last of the cone within five minutes, making sure to lick any stray droplets off his mouth.

Luffy snickered, but followed Zoro's example and finished his ice cream in almost the same amount of time. Which was impressive, considering he had four times as much ice cream as Zoro. Good thing he knew how to avoid the stinging headache that could come from eating the cold treat too quickly.

Happily cleaning the ice cream from his hands and face, Luffy finally finished and just turned to Zoro with a grin that was mostly highly amused, but partially just fond. "You're so funny," he told him with a shake of his head.

Zoro blinked. "I am?"

"Yes," Luffy said lightly. "Sometimes you seem so grumpy, but sometimes you're so kind. It's funny to watch... I never quite know how you're going to react."

Still getting remnants of the ice cream off of his hands, Zoro turned a curious eye onto Luffy. "Why would it matter how I'm going to react to something?"

Luffy shrugged, smiling enigmatically. "It doesn't," he said simply. "It just makes things interesting."

Still, Zoro eyed Luffy suspiciously. "I'm likely to think you have some scheme you'd like to try out on me."

Luffy could not help a slight mischievous quirk to his grin. "What do you think the ice cream was?"

For a moment, Zoro gave a small grin of his own. "I guess there're more sinister things to carry out."

The mischievousness increased in Luffy's grin, extending to his eyes. "Yeah, I suppose there are." He chuckled softly to himself. "Does this mean you don't like surprises, or just that you don't want me being more sinister than forcing melting ice cream on you in the middle of the day?"

"Mmm…" Zoro seemed to think about this for a moment. "I suppose that all depends on what kind of surprises you had in store."

"Well," Luffy declared with a grin, "I'll be sure not to tell you what kind if I ever have any, or they wouldn't be any surprise at all." He paused, the light teasing returning. "I guess you'll have to learn to live with that."

"Well," said Zoro slowly, barely repressing a smile, "I suppose it could be worse…"

The now-familiar line did not fail to make Luffy laugh again, freely and happily. That was, he decided, definitely becoming his favorite of Zoro's phrases. "Yeah. A lot worse," he answered, the bit of fondness creeping into his grin.

A companionable silence lapsed between them as Zoro watched his prince smile in amusement. He still had flecks of mint chocolate plastered to his mouth, and Monkey was poking out of his pocket. Luffy bore no resemblance to the prince the public back in Anchor tried to make him out to be, and that suited Zoro just fine.

He hoped that Luffy would never lose his zest for life.

* * *

The shadows slowly lengthened as the sky darkened from the intense blue. By the time the clouds were stained a brilliant orange near the setting sun, Luffy had managed to lead the two in a serpentine route throughout most of the town. They had not found a ship that was available, disappointing Luffy but not coming as too much a surprise after Nami's warning. The night came quicker than expected, and before they knew it the two were slowly on their way back to the restaurant.

Although they had not found a ship, Luffy had found a few more treats to insist Zoro try, and there was enough laughter to still make the prince feel as though the day had been well spent. He trotted along, holding Monkey securely in one hand with the other unconsciously holding his beloved hat flat against his head. He could not help looking around in wonder, even if he had already seen these parts of the town before.

Of course, it wasn't until they passed the same store three times that Luffy realized he had no clue where they were, let alone how to get back to the restaurant. He turned toward Zoro, grinning cheerfully despite the situation. "Hey! Was Baratie forward or back from here?"

Zoro paused from walking for a moment before sharply turning toward the prince. "How am I supposed to know? You mean you weren't keeping track?"

"You're the bodyguard, shouldn't _you _be watching the surroundings?" Luffy could not help the laugh that escaped him.

"I watch our surroundings." Zoro suddenly sounded irritated and indignant at the idea that his abilities were being put into question. "I would have known if someone were going to attack. That has nothing to do with directions."

"Well, if no one's attacking us it doesn't matter, does it?" Luffy was entirely unconcerned with the matter of being lost, his carefree tone conveying his grin more than could be seen in the deepening night. "We'll get there eventually, so everything will work out fine."

Zoro only grunted, apparently still a little put off by Luffy's earlier comment. He didn't have much time to dwell on the subject, however, as a familiar figure approached them from a distance. The softly glowing street lamps illuminated the orange-haired girl, and the swordsman began to make his way toward Nami.

It took Luffy a moment to notice her presence; he saw Zoro veer before he saw her standing in the light. But once she came into view, he immediately raised his hand in an energetic wave and happy call. "Hey, Nami! Are you lost too?" He jogged to catch up to Zoro and meet her first.

"Of course I'm not lost," replied Nami as she met up with them. "I've been too busy finding a ship to even think about becoming lost, for your information." Her eyes glanced over Monkey's blank stare from Luffy's pocket, and she gave a small smile in spite of herself.

"Oh, we already looked. We can't find one." Though the news was disappointing, it was said cheerfully enough. Luffy had absolutely no doubts that they would find a ship the next day, or the next, or somehow it would happen when they weren't looking. Life was funny like that.

"Well, I'm not surprised that you couldn't find a ship." The navigator crossed her arms. "I told you they don't come cheap." But her stern demeanor began to melt as she suddenly smiled. "But that doesn't matter right now. I've got good news…"

Luffy blinked, looking questioningly at Zoro as if to ask what he thought, but his bodyguard had the same expression aimed back. So silence alone greeted Nami's announcement.

* * *

Zipping up his duffel bag for the final time, Usopp heaved a heavy sigh. It had taken him a lot longer than he'd expected to pick through his possessions and pack what he needed. Night had already settled around the city, and the lamp that rested on the worn bedside table dimly lit their room. The clinking of dishes and silverware could be heard outside, the dinner rush still at its peak.

"I guess that covers everything," he muttered, dropping the bag beside the closed door.

"Yep," Sanji answered as he lit a new cigarette, the nicotine like a savior to calm his nerves. He inhaled deeply, dropping to slouch on the edge of his bed and eye the duffel bag. It was decently sized (a little larger than normal) and definitely as full as it could be. "Sure you're not gonna snap someone's eye out with a flying zipper? That thing looks like it'll burst if anyone even _breathes _on it wrong..."

"There's nothing wrong with being prepared," Usopp replied emphatically. "Besides, I wanted to take as much stuff with me as possible, since I'm, you know…not sure when I'll be coming back…" His gaze fell to the floor, and his voice became a little quieter.

"Pfft, you can't stay away. Admit it already, you'll be right back here tomorrow." Inhaling the blessed drug deeply, Sanji smirked and added somewhat teasingly, somewhat haughtily, "If nothing else, I'm far too irresistible to forget or leave behind."

The curly-haired man flushed suddenly, and he gave Sanji a frown. "What's that supposed to mean? I can make it just fine on my own. I didn't defeat a school of giant goldfish without picking up a _few_ tricks!"

Waving his cigarette in a gesture that was mostly dismissive Sanji looked over with a teasing light in his visible eye. "Hey, hey, don't put words in my mouth. I said nothing about your tricks. I'm sure goldfish the world over fear your presence and name."

"_Giant_ goldfish," Usopp corrected him. "Anyway-uh, thanks for helping me pack…"

A slightly annoyed grunt preceded Sanji pushing himself up then calmly walking close enough to hit Usopp on the head. Though he put enough strength into the move to show his friend he was serious, the rebuke was less hurtful than it was stern. "We've been over this before. Stop thanking me; it's not necessary. Keep that up and I'll assume you think I'm some asshole who'd leave the moment it looked like I had to do any work or help anyone out."

Usopp lightly rubbed his head, looking a little hurt. "You're not an asshole," he mumbled. "I'm just grateful, that's all…"

"Well, be grateful in another direction, you're making me feel bad," came the gruff reply, though there was no venom in his voice. Sanji inhaled again, deeper than before, letting the burn of the nicotine fill his mind and wipe away anything else he may have said.

His darker-skinned friend watched him for a moment, the smoke making his eyes water a little. "What do you want me to do, then?"

Sanji shrugged. "Stop feeling like you have to be grateful? I'm also helping because I _want _to help, you know. There's no need to thank people for things they'd have done anyway and they want to do. It's like thanking a person for breathing."

Usopp was about to respond when the door abruptly flew open. Startled, the former waiter whirled around to find Luffy, Zoro and Nami striding into the room.

"What the-?" Sanji started, stepping back to avoid being hit.

Luffy jumped toward Usopp with high energy born from excitement. "Hey, hurry, hurry!" he said loudly, yanking on Usopp as if to emphasize the urgency. "Get your stuff! Are you packed yet? Let's go! Nami's the _best!_"

"Wh-what?" Usopp pulled away slightly, looking a little alarmed. "What's going on?"

"Yeah, what the hell?" Sanji echoed, startled and completely lost. The entrance and announcement were entirely too sudden for him to even know what he was feeling.

"Nami got us a _ship!" _Luffy yelled, his grin taking over his expression and body language. He moved away abruptly to grab his pack and other belongings, including the bottle of healing lotion he'd been meaning to take with. Shoving the cream into his bag, he slung the pack over his shoulder and positively _beamed _at the others.

"But we gotta go fast, 'cause..." he paused only slightly, looking perplexed for one moment before the extreme happiness took over again. "Well, I dunno why, she just said we did. But just think! A ship, Usopp! A _ship!" _

"You thank me later," Nami added, nodding with a smirk. "I'll be sure to only charge you half price."

Sputtering a little, Usopp stared at the trio. He'd really wanted to have one final night at the restaurant to sort through everything that had happened today. But Luffy's eager grin, Nami's expectant gaze and Zoro's piercing silence were telling him that he didn't really have much choice over when the group left. For a moment, he stared at the bag that was now squished between the wall and the open door. He could feel his heart pounding.

Baratie wasn't home anymore, despite what Sanji told him. And his father was waiting for him somewhere out there.

Gaining his composure, he looked over at Sanji with a forced grin. "Well, I guess I have to leave a little earlier than expected."

Staring at the group, Sanji could only nod with a wide, startled gaze. "...Yeah, seems so," he said belatedly, bringing the cigarette to his mouth out of habit, to help focus and calm him. "So... wait. You have to leave _this minute?" _

He looked a little incredulously at Nami at the question, assuming she would be the only one capable of answering. Luffy looked entirely too giddy and had already admitted he had no clue, and Zoro was being Mr. Brooding in the background, so Sanji had no hopes for him.

"If he's finished packing, I don't see why we need to stand around and wait," explained Nami reasonably.

Sanji blinked at the logic, nodding slightly. "Uh-well, that's true. But don't you want... I don't know. A good night's sleep or something?"

The navigator waved a hand dismissively. "We can take turns sleeping, it's no big deal." Silently watching this exchange, Usopp frowned a little. The idea of stealing away into the night was a little suspicious; especially considering the original plan was to leave tomorrow at the earliest.

Sanji was thinking much the same thing. "I thought you were leaving tomorrow... Why suddenly tonight?"

He was a little hesitant to keep pushing the subject. If they were in such a hurry, asking useless questions was just delaying their journey unnecessarily. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Luffy was looking very impatient, but he held his hand up to forestall any complaints just long enough for him to hear Nami's answer. His gaze, intent and a little suspicious, did not waver from hers.

"Well, Luffy _is_ a prince, after all." Nami jerked her thumb toward the impatient boy. "It'd make sense to leave at a time that will draw the least amount of attention to ourselves. Also-"

"Hey, how do you know about that?" said Zoro suddenly, his eyebrows furrowing. "We never told you."

The navigator only scowled. "For your information, I overheard it when you were talking earlier. And to be frank, I'm a little insulted you never let me in on the secret. If I'm going to be part of your group, you have to tell me these sorts of things." The swordsman gave Nami a suspicious glare, but said no more concerning the subject.

Luffy looked at Nami, startled, but said nothing. His excitement was still there, though sobered slightly at the reminder of his position. It was true; as happy as he was to get to sea, it was only part of the journey and not yet his destination. The idea ate away a bit of his excessive energy and kept him standing quietly with his hand supporting the bag's strap across his shoulder while he watched the others speak.

Sanji frowned thoughtfully and nodded, stepping back as if to physically show his acceptance. "True." He paused, the seriousness remaining even as he smiled slightly. "So... where's the ship then? Should I be running interference to distract people more so you can get away quietly?"

Nami gave a sudden smile. "No, no, that's okay. The fewer people involved, the better. But thanks for the offer anyway!"

Sanji shrugged, finishing off his cigarette with flair and walking to the nightstand to put out the remainder in the ashtray. "Alright," he said, his back turned to them all for a moment so that his expression could not be seen. His voice was completely calm, however, and when he finally turned around the calmness was in his body language and face as well. "You'd better be going, then. Have a good trip, and don't get in _too _much trouble." He smirked then, a bit teasingly, and raised one hand in an idle wave even as the other searched his pockets for a new cigarette.

Staring at Sanji incredulously, Usopp stood very still. This was it? His final goodbye with the man he'd practically grown up with? He'd been hoping for something a little more personal, with more closure. For a moment, he couldn't help but feel a bit dizzy at how fast this was all happening. But he gave a hard swallow and turned away, hoisting his bulky bag over his shoulder. "Thanks. You too…"

Sanji snorted, the smirk becoming a bit more like a grin. "Like I ever get in trouble..." He turned his gaze to the others, measuring them up momentarily, before turning back to Usopp again. He sobered slightly, though the casualness with which he stood and lit his newest cigarette remained.

"Seriously, though, Usopp. Take care, right? These guys look too stupid to know when they're about to get their asses kicked, so you and Nami-san'll have to be sure not to get involved in their idiocy." He grinned truly then, the teasing coming in full force. "If I think you're getting roped into their stupidity, if your dad calls I'll definitely have to tell him all the embarrassing stories of you I can think of. So let that be a warning, 'kay? You _know_ I have some good ones..."

"H-hey," said Usopp, looking a little unnerved, though he gave a tiny smile of his own. "I have just as many about you. I could tarnish your reputation as a suave ladies man in a heartbeat, and don't you forget that."

Startled at the comment-particularly the _truth _and suddenness-Sanji's visible eye widened and the cigarette went slack in his mouth. He automatically darted his gaze to Nami and back, making him look even more disconcerted. "Hey, wait! I didn't do anything... I mean there's no reason for you to do _that_..."

For the first time since that morning, Usopp gave a laugh. "Don't worry, that's what friends are for."

Sanji just looked at him a bit suspiciously, but recovered quickly. "Yeah, well." He didn't really know what to say to that, so he nodded and lifted his hand to the cigarette so he would have something to do. Shoving his other hand in his pocket, he leaned against the nightstand and smiled slightly. "You'd better all go. I think Luffy's gonna die of anticipation if he doesn't move soon."

Frowning in confusion at the comment, Luffy looked at Sanji questioningly. Although he really wanted to go, he thought he had been doing a good job of staying quiet and still so they could have their chance for goodbyes before they took off. Still, it reminded him even more of their urgency. Nami had a point; leaving in the middle of the night was probably best.

The longer they delayed, the more chance some assassins would appear again and something would happen. Like Baratie burning down just as the clinic did. That was the _last _thing he wanted, so he took advantage of Sanji's comment. Grinning after the brief confusion, he hitched the pack higher on his shoulder and smiled brightly.

"Yeah, let's go! We have to meet the ship and name it and the _sea _is waiting!" Luffy moved quickly toward the door, hoping it would spur the others into action.

"It was nice staying here," Nami said sweetly as Zoro began moving toward Luffy. "Thanks for all your help, Sanji-kun. Have a nice life!" She turned to follow the pair before pausing and looking at Usopp expectantly.

The curly-haired man shifted a little as he hoisted the bag higher onto his shoulder. He looked like he had a lot he wanted to say, and he took in a deep breath. "Good-bye," he said simply. And with that, he followed the trio and disappeared through the door. It wasn't long after he was out of sight that his footsteps faded.

And then there was silence, broken only by the faint sounds of dishes and silverware clinking against one another from the kitchen.

Sanji waited until the room seemed resoundingly empty before he very calmly pushed himself from the wall and closed the door. He turned his back on the muffled sounds of customers and took measured steps back to the bed, where he stared at the covers for several long minutes. Maybe subconsciously he was waiting for someone to reappear, to say they had forgotten something, or even for Zeff to walk in laughing that he had been joking and Usopp was just around the corner, snickering that Sanji had so completely been fooled.

But no one came and the room remained dark except for the light of electricity, and he was still alone. With very measured and ordered movements, he began to get ready for bed. Loosen the tie. Shoes off one after the other-left, right. Socks off-left, right.

He kept his mind occupied by the familiar routine, all the while very calmly smoking his latest cigarette and not noticing (maybe purposefully, he didn't even know) that it was disappearing a little faster than normal, that he was inhaling deeper and longer and that the nicotine was more important right then than it had been ever before. He just got ready for bed, and waited once more for several long minutes in silence.

No one came, although he wasn't actually expecting anyone to. When the silence became too much, when even the usual quiet breathing of his roommate was so obviously _not there, _he stood carefully and turned the light off, made his equally careful way back to the bed in the pure darkness. The sheets being pulled back sounded altogether too loud and isolated without the similar rustling on the cot behind him, and he found himself thinking even more of the night before when Zoro's and Luffy's body warmth had remained on the bed when he lay down, how he could hear three sets of breathing or snoring instead of the usual one. Something about that had made him realize distantly how having more people in their room made it seem that much emptier when they were gone.

Refusing to think about the topic, Sanji very pointedly pulled the sheets up and turned his back on the rest of the room. He closed his eyes, and focused on his own breathing. The room was not small, that was ridiculous. It wasn't empty-there was plenty of furniture around, obviously. And Usopp...

Well. He had no reason to think about him right then. Usopp was going to have fun with his father, right? If that left Sanji alone, feeling isolated, in a restaurant that seemed too big without him, well that was fine. Sanji knew plenty of people in the restaurant. He really wasn't alone. He just felt that way because his constant friend of ten years just left. And if no one else in the restaurant would ever care about him nearly as much as that friend had, that was also fine. This was where he belonged. Usopp had probably always belonged at sea. Sanji was fine.

There was nothing to worry about. Tomorrow, he would wake up early and go to the kitchen, and he would make himself breakfast and make sure the restaurant was running fine. He would have to keep an eye on Pattie and Carne, of course, since they had been acting up recently. Maybe he would corner Zeff about fixing that one part of the roof that he suspected was leaking.

He had plenty of things to do. His whole life was ahead of him. His whole life at Baratie. That was all he needed. It was all he had ever needed. He was still friends with Usopp. He just wouldn't see him as often, that was all. And if he never saw Zoro or Luffy or Nami again... well, that was also fine. Zoro was an idiot, Luffy was entirely too cheerful for his own good, and while Nami had been a knockout, there were still plenty of beautiful women who came to Baratie daily. He still had his smokes, still had his home.

He was fine. Everything was just fine.

Pulling the sheets up, Sanji covered his head and curled himself into a ball, closing his eyes pointedly and trying his best to fall asleep.

* * *

It seemed like hours had passed with Sanji waiting for sleep, but in reality he doubted it was that long. Still, there was only so long he could stubbornly lie there before he got too irritated and had to do something. Zeff had already warned him not to be seen the rest of the night, so he didn't want to bother with dealing with the cranky old fart out in the kitchen or dining room. Instead, Sanji sighed and started to clean the last bit of chaos out of the room. There were some things neither he nor Usopp had gotten around to putting away before Nami and the others had abruptly appeared.

Though he tried not to think too much about anything, Sanji was tired and exhausted, and that much more susceptible to nostalgia. So when he picked up the stack of drawings Usopp had left scattered on the dresser's top, he found himself unthinkingly shifting through them and smiling at some of the more memorable ones. The fourth drawing caught his attention, one that sparked a memory that made him grin. But there would be no more pictures, would there? No more stupid stories that made him grin or that he would remember even when he needed to be asleep... It was a sobering thought, and the grin faded as if it had never existed.

A heavy silence burdened the room as the restaurant began to wind down for closing time. Never again would they clean tables and stack chairs, never again would he see a slingshot turn out the lights. Now it would hardly matter if Fullbody stayed far too late and became far too drunk. Now it would hardly matter if anyone spoke of pirates or adventures of the sea or Giant Goldfish.

The clock chimed midnight - heavy footsteps began to stomp down the hallway. Suddenly, the door flew open.

Nearly dropping the paper in surprise, Sanji turned to stare at the door. For a moment, he was certain he'd been right after all... Usopp forgot something and had sheepishly returned, maybe decided he wouldn't leave after all. But the silhouette from the hallway was far too large to be Usopp, or even Zoro there to say they'd be staying another night. Pulling the drawings unconsciously closer, Sanji narrowed his eyes and scowled as he realized who it was.

"The hell do _you _want, shitty old man?" he growled, irritated. "Come to gloat in victory?"

Zeff's eyebrow twitched, and he gave Sanji a disapproving frown from the doorway. "Actually, I came to tell you what a moron and a fool you are."

Raising his visible eyebrow, Sanji gave Zeff an irritated, impatient look. "Yeah? What'd I do now? Not wash the damn dishes good enough this morning or something?" The bitterness and sarcasm combined to make his voice ugly, angry, and he had to turn away to set the precious drawings down before he ripped them accidentally.

"No, you spoiled little brat," barked Zeff gruffly, apparently irritated with Sanji's tone. "For letting one of the most important people in your life go because of your damn pride."

"What the hell?" Sanji said loudly, frustrated. He whipped around, agitatedly pointing at the older man. "I'm doing what you said, aren't I? I stayed in this damn room all night, I didn't stop Usopp, what the hell do you _want? _ This has nothing to do with pride! I'm just being a good friend. _You're _the one that made him go!"

"No one told you that you had to stay." Zeff's arms folded over his chest. "No one told you not to go with him. That was _your_ choice. And a stupid one, since this was your first and probably last chance to go pursue your _own_ dreams instead of lazing around this place."

Sanji's eyes narrowed angrily even as his voice rose in volume, irritated and confused and indignant. "_Lazing around the place? _ I almost run the damn restaurant more than _you _do! And this _is _my dream, you idiot! Baratie's important to me. Why the hell should I leave for no reason?"

The older man gave Sanji a steely gaze, his teeth clenching as if he were refraining from kicking the senior cook's face in. But his voice was remarkably calm and composed, a chill coloring his words. "All Blue."

Sanji twitched and could not stop the rush of conflicting emotions at the two simple words. All Blue. The dream he had believed in since childhood, since long before he even knew a man named Zeff existed, even longer before the restaurant and town they now stood in had been built. A dream of foolishness, something he could no longer let himself believe in, no matter how it pulled his heart in ways nothing else could.

He looked away, the indignant anger gone and replaced by stubborn bitterness. "What about it?" he asked belligerently, though even he had to admit his voice fell a little flat. "It's just a stupid kid's dream, and I'm not a kid anymore. If I chased after that, I'd be an idiot risking my life for no reason."

"You think people didn't call me an idiot for building this restaurant in the middle of a damn desert?" growled Zeff, apparently unimpressed with Sanji's logic.

"That has nothing to do with this. Building a restaurant is right in front of you; you _know _it exists because _you're _the one making it!"

"But no one knew a city was going to spring up around it," Zeff shot back. "No one could see that coming. Hell, no one even thought anyone would bother to eat here."

"So?" Sanji demanded, his irritation returning as he ran out of patience and arguments. "So people eat here now and you need all the help you can get. Why are we having this conversation anyway? Just leave me the hell alone." He turned his back on Zeff pointedly, waiting for the stupid old man to just go and stop pestering him.

Zeff's heavy glare seemed to bore into Sanji's back as an uncomfortable silence hung between them. "Fine," he growled. "Fine, just throw the best years of your life away. Go ahead and waste the only chance you've got to pursue what you really want. You think I honestly have a use for a Senior Cook who doesn't have the balls to fight for what's important to him?" He turned away as well. "I expect you to be out of here by tomorrow morning."

Sanji's entire body tensed, his shoulders visibly tight with anger and other emotions. But he was silent, his reaction hidden by the angle of his body and the fall of his hair. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his lighter and a new cigarette. He tilted his head just enough to let his face show, and as he lit his cigarette there was a flash of warm light against the contours of that blank expression.

"Just leave," he said finally, his voice steady despite the heaviness. "I'm sick of you right now."

"My pleasure, brat," spat Zeff. And with that, the Owner had stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Sanji waited until he was certain Zeff had left. Only then did he calmly straighten, turning enough to look at the door as he held his cigarette in one hand. With his free hand he suddenly slammed the side of his fist against the wall and leaned against it, his forehead falling against his arm and his blond hair fanning out to shield part of the floor from his gaze.

He closed his eyes with a grimace, his cigarette in danger of falling to the floor from his lax hand, and whispered harshly, "_Shit."_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

It was amazing how far the ocean reached, spanning endless distances and touching everything in sight. Usopp had always admired the sea from the port town of Baratie, but he'd never actually gotten a chance to relish in the actual experience of being _at_ sea. The wind invigorated and energized him as it made his dark hair dance wildly around his face. As his heart thrummed loudly in his chest, he almost felt a laugh bubble up within him at how he _right_ this all felt. To be on a _ship_! Sailing and living his dreams! This was definitely the life he'd always pined for...

But then his thoughts would immediately turn to Sanji. This was such a life-changing experience, how could he _not_ be sharing this with his best friend? Sanji had his own dreams that he had wanted to pursue, yet he was still doing dishes, or serving dinner, or cooking, or whatever it was Zeff had told him to do. Usopp's stomach nauseatingly churned as he seemed to sink lower into the crow's nest, drawing his knees to his chest. Suddenly, he didn't want to see how far away the ocean reached anymore. Because that meant that Sanji was that much farther away.

The subdued emotion did not extend across the ship, however. While Usopp struggled with his emotions and the loss of his friend, the others had already started to settle in. Nami set the course and disappeared into the room she had chosen as her cabin, claiming she needed some time alone to study the maps. Zoro took the time to settle himself on deck, his swords resting against him as he calmly tracked Luffy's movements.

Luffy, meanwhile, could not seem to decide where he wanted to be. He had spent a good amount of time running around the place with a huge grin and so much excitement that it exuded from him like an aura. He finally settled down at the starboard side of the bow, leaning over to watch the waves crash against the side of the ship. He took great pleasure in the mist that sprayed up refreshingly against his face, and held out a hand to watch the droplets collect along his palm.

Even the waves could not keep his attention for long, though, so it was only a matter of minutes before he found himself staring out at the vastness of the sea. Something caught his attention behind them and, quite forgetting the waves, he scurried his way closer to peer at the dot in the distance.

"Hey," he said mostly to himself, but he paused and narrowed his eyes, staring suspiciously. It was only a second before he suddenly straightened, his beaming grin back in place as he turned from the sea and yelled loudly, "Hey! A ship! Look! Look, we're already meeting new people!" He pointed excitedly in the direction of the rapidly approaching vessel.

As soon as the words had left Luffy's mouth, Usopp abruptly stood up, his eyes scanning over the horizon until he saw a speck of something in the distance. Immediately fumbled for his binoculars, he put them to his eyes and heavily leaned over the edge of the crow's nest.

It was a ship, all right. He could make out several people out on the dock, rugged men he'd never seen before...and a blonde head that almost certainly belonged to-

"Sanji?"

"What?" Luffy yelled at Usopp, holding his hat against his head as he craned his neck to peer up at the crow's nest. Wind whipped around him, making it difficult to hear. "Sun cheese? I want some!"

"No!" shouted Usopp. "_Sanji_! I see _Sanji_ out there!"

Zoro's eyes cracked open from where he'd been resting on the deck, and he slowly sat up. "What? That's impossible-"

"I know!" Luffy turned to Zoro with a perplexed frown. "What're the odds Sanji'd have sun cheese too?"

"What the hell are you babbling about?" Zoro stood up, walking over to the railing. "You sure it's Sanji?" he called out to Usopp.

"Positive!" exclaimed the younger man, thrill coloring his voice.

"I'm talking about sun cheese," Luffy said in mild indignation, but then he finally paid attention to what else was being said. "Wait, Sanji? He's on that ship?"

"Yes!" said Usopp again, growing a little tired of answering the same questions over and over again.

"Wow, that's _amazing_!" Luffy laughed happily, his eyes squinting shut. "Tell him to come on board, then."

No matter how hard the curly-haired man waved, however, he didn't think he could catch Sanji's attention. "I don't know if he sees me!"

"That's alright, we'll just _make _him see," Luffy cheerfully assured Usopp, and looked around quickly for something to use. An empty discarded bottle rested near the railing; grabbing it in his right hand, he threw his arm behind himself and let the momentum elongate the limb while he braced his shoulder with his left hand and sturdied his legs.

"Gomu Gomu no..." he yelled, a thrilled grin overtaking his expression as he felt his hand stop at the limits of his rubber body. _ "Pay Attention!" _His arm snapped forward suddenly, his hand and the bottle shooting forward over the water until he let the bottle loose. It went soaring over the water like a missile and would have slammed right into Sanji's head if he hadn't turned and thrown himself to the side at the last minute with a startled expletive that could almost be heard even from that distance.

But at least he was looking at their ship now.

"Luffy!" shrieked Usopp, horrified. "You could have _killed_ him-!" But then the gravity of what Luffy had actually done sunk in. "Wait. Wait, wait, wait. What the _hell_ did you just do? Your arm. I-I-I-It _stretched_..."

"So?" Luffy said blankly, looking up at Usopp in confusion. He rolled his right arm to get used to the feeling. He needed to work on the end... he almost got flipped onto his butt when his hand returned. "Your nose is long and I don't point _that _out." He didn't say it with any cruelty; it was more that he didn't understand why it was being brought up.

"You're made out of rubber," grumbled Zoro. "Have you ever met anyone made out of rubber before?"

"Huh? ...Oh, right!" Luffy grinned up at Usopp happily, stretching his cheek a ridiculous amount to demonstrate. "I'm a rubberman!" He was still a little unused to the feeling, but it was strange how quickly he was becoming accustomed to his new body. Like he'd always been like this but just hadn't bothered to try stretching before. He'd even forgotten Usopp didn't know.

Usopp felt a little woozy at this revelation, and he turned away. "Ugh, don't do that," he pleaded.

"Okay," Luffy agreed cheerfully enough, but he didn't seem to understand why Usopp would want him to stop. He had never seen a person stretch his cheek, so he really had no idea how strange it looked. "More importantly, is Sanji watching now? Tell him to come here!"

Usopp turned toward the ship again, raising his arm and giving a feeble wave. The only thing they'd probably succeeded in doing was nearly give Sanji a heart attack...

The ship was steadily gaining on them, enough that Sanji's expression was now visible even without the help of binoculars. Not that it helped any. Although he was watching the ship, he was leaning against the railing with an expression of utter bewilderment. Some of the people behind him pointed excitedly at where the bottle had shattered against the deck and toward Luffy, who was grinning in their general direction.

Usopp's movement must have caught Sanji's attention however, as it was not long before he tilted his head toward the crow's nest and suddenly broke out into a wide boyish smile and waved back with both his arms. He yelled something but he was too far away to be heard.

Usopp suddenly leaned over the edge of the crow's nest, waving back with just as much enthusiasm. "_Sanji_!" he called.

Zoro rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, he's on a ship..."

Luffy laughed in the background while Sanji, as if somehow understanding what had just happened, stopped waving and glared from afar. Although the ships were moving at a decent speed, it still seemed to take a long time for Sanji and the others to finally come within shouting distance. Even then, most of what passed between the ships in terms of conversation was incoherent and blurred as everyone yelled at once.

It wasn't until the ships were properly secured alongside each other and Sanji and the strangers with him climbed their way onto Luffy and the others' ship that anything started to make sense. A natural lull in the conversations fell when Sanji jumped onto the deck and stood there, a bag dangling from his hand as he looked at them all. There was something that seemed almost uncertain about his body language, but when he smirked and spoke he sounded perfectly confident.

"Hey," he said by way of an anticlimactic greeting.

Usopp, meanwhile, had hurriedly made his way down from the crow's nest, excitement dancing in his eyes. "Sanji!" he called happily when he made it to the deck. "What are you-? I don't understand, I thought you were-?"

"The bag says enough," drawled Zoro as he ambled over to the group. "He's obviously too afraid of the dark to sleep alone."

Sanji scowled at Zoro, ignoring Usopp's questions at first. "Says the guy who can't even sleep in a _bed _alone." He pointedly dropped the bag, as if to dare Zoro to demand that he leave.

As soon as the remark was uttered, Zoro gave a giant scowl. "Shut up, that's entirely different-"

"Oh, _really?" _Sanji drawled, smirking now in smug satisfaction from annoying the swordsman. He now knew damn well why Zoro was so protective, but he couldn't resist some teasing. "Are you sure Luffy's not just your security blanket?"

The green-haired man's cheeks immediately flushed a deep, hard red. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in my life," he snapped.

"Not so ridiculous you don't react," Sanji insisted, grinning a bit wickedly.

Before he could continue, though, Luffy piped up with a wide smile. "Yeah it is, though! There's no way I'd be comfortable as a blanket..." He paused very briefly to consider, and shrugged lightly. "Maybe a pillow, but blanket? It'd never work!" He laughed at the idea.

Zoro shifted uncomfortably. "You never answered what the hell you were doing here," he said, wanting to change the subject.

Sanji grinned evilly at Zoro, tilting his head the slightest toward Luffy as if to silently say he hadn't missed any of that and fully intended to tease him more later. But he relented for the moment and straightened while adjusting his tie. "Well, for one, I knew no journey would be interesting without me. And for another, when I realized beautiful Nami-san would be stuck at sea with a bunch of hoodlums like you and no one to protect her, I _had _to come!" He glanced at Usopp though, his visible eye twinkling a bit even if the smirk-smile stayed in place.

Usopp returned the smile, his mouth positively beaming. He knew that Sanji coming had little to do with Nami, and perhaps even less to do with him. Indeed, the curly-haired man had a hunch it had more to do with the mythical All Blue, but he wasn't about to mention it if his friend didn't readily give up that piece of information.

"Glad you could make it!" he laughed instead.

Zoro, on the other hand, rolled his eyes. "You can do something useful around here, right?"

Sanji snorted, hooking the strap of his bag around his foot and jerking his leg upward so he could easily catch it and toss it over his shoulder. "Only kick more ass than you..." He narrowed his visible eye, a challenging smirk dominating his expression. "In about half the time."

"I'd like to see you try," growled Zoro. "You'll cook, though, right?"

Raising his eyebrow, Sanji nodded. "Of course," came his answer to both comments.

Luffy jumped in excitement, reaching out to yank Sanji's bag away. "Wow, a cook! _Great idea!_ Let's eat now! Here, here, I'll go put this away for you and we'll meet you in the galley. I want meat!"

Sanji nearly fell over at the unexpected jerk, releasing his bag to preserve his balance and not give Zoro something to humiliate him over, like falling on his ass right after being so suave. "H-hey! I didn't say I'd cook _now... _ What about these people I came with? Don't you even care who they are?" He reached for the bag but Luffy laughed and danced away with it, stowing the bag under one arm while he waved cheerfully at the people staring at them strangely from behind him.

"Hi everyone! I'm Luffy and this is my ship and I'm the Captain." He grinned so widely that it must have been painful.

As soon as Luffy spoke, an attractive woman with dark hair climbed onto the deck from her own ship. "Why, hello there," she said silkily, making a show of brushing some of her dark locks from her face. "You have a *very* lovely ship, don't you?"

Zoro watched her carefully from where he stood, not particularly fond of the way she carried herself and the vibes she seemed to bring with her. There was something very wrong about this person, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Luffy, however, was oblivious. "Thanks," he said enthusiastically, "I like it too!" Holding Sanji's bag securely in his arms, he grinned brightly at the newcomers. "Are you eating too?"

Watching him shrewdly, the woman's full lips twisted into a small smirk. "Is that an invitation?"

"Sure!" Luffy answered, hopping back and turning to Sanji with a grin. "You can start now. You'll need to make lots since they're here too."

"Leave it to me," Sanji said, snatching the bag back firmly. "Do you even have any rations, though? I can't make anything if you have no food."

"Oh, but there's _lots!" _Luffy grinned happily. "I checked right away and there's especially lots of meat so you should go make that now."

"Figures you'd look there first," Sanji grumbled, but he looked pleased to have something to do as he strode toward the galley. He grinned goofily in the woman's direction, promising to return with something wonderful for her to eat, and wandered in the direction of the galley.

Usopp watched him walk past, his mouth stretched into an amazed smile. "You...need any help?"

Smirking, Sanji shrugged. "I don't need any help, but I don't mind admirers," he teased.

Flushing some, Usopp looked away from a moment before looking back at Sanji doubtfully. "I'd better not, then. Your ego might get too big for the both of us to be in there."

Sanji laughed, and paused in the galley's doorway. "Suit yourself," he said with an all-too-innocent expression and tone, which he lowered considerably for his next words, "But I could use a taste-tester too." He glanced across the ship at Luffy, who was oblivious to the conversation. "I don't really trust that guy to know decent food when he sees it. Did you check the pantry too?"

Usopp nodded. "Yeah, I did. I hadn't realized that they had bought so much food. Looked pretty nice, too, actually." Usopp's voice lowered. "I guess 'cause he's...y'know..."

Sanji nodded, his expression a little more serious. "Must be." He paused, glanced at the others in the middle of a conversation, and shrugged with one shoulder. "I'd better go make something before he tries eating us. Join me or not, whichever you like." His tone was light, softening his abrupt exit as he stepped back and let the galley door swing closed behind him.

Hesitating a moment, Usopp promptly followed the chef into the galley.

A good period of time passed relatively peacefully on the ship. The galley was filled with the clinking of dishes, sizzling of meat, and banging of pans as Sanji set to creating a banquet befitting the small army they had wandering the deck. Usopp opened his mouth several times to speak, but after a bit of hesitation and nervous laughter, he inevitably ended up commenting on Sanji's cooking style, or talking about an idea he had for a new experiment, or relaying a story of adventure and bravery he had told many times before. Sanji responded easily, saying nothing about recent events, just acting as if it were perfectly normal for them to be at sea on a boat instead of in the kitchen of Baratie Restaurant wasting time between customers.

Outside, the newcomers found their way around the ship to claim resting spots and places to slap down a deck of cards and loudly call each other cheaters. Someone had gotten into the liquor cabinet early but the woman ('Alvida' she had introduced herself later) quickly stopped most of them from drinking. To avoid annoying their hosts with their behavior, she said.

Zoro had seemed displeased about her presence but said nothing, while Luffy spent the time loudly telling anyone in the vicinity how great their ship was and how he could beat them all at cards. He eventually got roped into a game and beat them once, but lost twice after that.

His pouting was almost as loud as his bragging.

It was in the middle of what looked like would be a fourth loss that he abruptly stood, threw his cards down, and ran to the galley with a grin. He smelled meat, he told anyone who asked what the rush was, and that was all that was needed for others to recognize the smell of a cooked meal themselves and to migrate noisily to the galley.

Usopp had his mouth open again, this time looking more determined than ever to get whatever was on his mind out into the open, but all he got out was, "Sanji, why-?" before Luffy slammed the door open and everyone poured in.

"I'm here for meat!" Luffy announced brightly, as if his motives were unclear.

"Imagine that," Sanji answered with a slight smirk. He did not look away from the green peppers he had hissing in the pan, though, and tilted his head toward the deck. "Get a table ready out there, then. There's not enough room in here and I'll bring everything out in a minute."

"Okay!" Luffy nearly yelled in his enthusiasm, and he managed to drag a good bunch of the group out with him to delegate to Table Setting Up Duties so they could eat even faster.

Glancing over his shoulder, Sanji asked idly while he ignored the three visitors prowling the galley still. "What were you saying, Usopp?"

Frowning some, Usopp glanced at the loud group of newcomers, shaking his head. "It's...it's nothing. We'll talk about it later."

Looking at Usopp oddly, Sanji just nodded, shrugged, and made a quick motion with his wrist that had the green peppers flying in the air to land, sizzling, once more in the pan.

Dinner was served soon enough, various people crowding around at the table and throughout the galley. Zoro was seated in the midst of them, his eyes narrowed slightly as he occasionally took a sip of alcohol from his mug. He had gone to tell Nami about the newcomers, but the orange-haired girl had firmly cut him off from behind the door, telling him that, no, she wasn't done with her map and, no, she didn't want to be bothered with anything until she was finished.

Well, that suited the swordsman just fine. He was better off keeping his concerns to himself anyway, seeing how easily everyone else trusted the strangers, especially the dark-haired woman. As such, Zoro had made a mental note not to consume too much beer lest he lose his focus on the matter at hand.

Surprisingly, the meal went by with little incident. A couple of men got into a small scuffle, but Alvida had promptly put them into their place by threateningly waving a spiked club that she seemed to carry beneath her feminine cloak. But the food was good, and everyone seemed to be in high spirits. Even so, Zoro never lost his alert edge over what was going on around him.

Sanji automatically began cleaning up at the end of the meal, and without thinking about it, Usopp joined him. Old habits died hard, and the two had lived in a restaurant long enough that the busboy routine was firmly ingrained in their psyches.

That didn't stop Sanji from kicking Zoro and Luffy as he passed, though. "Hey. Help clean up, you lazy bums," he growled, but it was not so much anger behind his words as it was his needing to needle them both.

Luffy looked up from where he was still stuffing food into his cheeks, now puffed massively out as his rubber body accounted for it. He asked something, but it was so garbled by the meat and bread crowding his mouth that he may as well have been speaking another language.

Looking away in mild disgust, Sanji sighed lightly. "Nevermind..." he said, in a tone that implied he had pretty much expected that result.

"Aw, don't be so hard on him," Usopp teased. "He's just enjoying your great food, right?"

"Yeah, mashing it all together for everyone to see," he grumbled, though he really didn't sound all that upset.

Suddenly, the door pushed open and Nami stepped outside. "What's going on around here?" she said sharply. "It's so loud, and there are all these people I've never met everywhere!"

Luffy waved and tried to yell something but, again, it was lost to incoherency and pieces of scattering meat.

"Nami-swan!" Sanji swooned loudly over Luffy's muffled call. How he managed to balance the trays as he leaned toward her and accounted for the rolling of the ship without losing even one morsel of food was just another of his mysterious skills. "You look so beautiful when angry! Would you like my special dessert I saved especially for you? It has strawberries and cream, mixed in with the love from my heart..." His voice trailed off as he closed his eyes happily, his nostrils growing larger to better inhale the intoxicating scent of her hair.

"Sanji-kun?" she asked incredulously. "How the hell did _you_ get here?"

"I followed the scent of your perfume from Baratie itself, crossing the ocean to protect you from these bastards," came his dreamy reply as he leaned even closer and shifted all the plates to one hand so he could slip his arm around her shoulders. "Are you happy to see me? Don't hold back, Nami-san! I won't turn away."

She laughed a little. "Oh, really? Well, there had to have been some way that you got to this ship. I know you didn't walk on water."

"Of course not," Sanji said, pulling away and redistributing the plates as he grinned down at her with a more normal expression. "I ran into some people who were looking for their ship, actually. I offered to help them if they'd let me off with my friends if we saw them. I figured we'd have a good chance of finding all of you if we caught up around the river or just past it."

The navigator raised an eyebrow. "Find their ship? Did they lose it or something?"

Sanji shrugged, looking over at the crew as they milled about the deck. "I'm not sure," he said absently, smirking slightly when one of the men stumbled into Zoro and almost made him spill his beer. The man retreated quickly when he saw the swordsman's expression, though.

"They were in a frenzy at the riverbanks when I showed up. From what I overheard, most of them were partying or shopping and only a few were on the ship. But when they got back from buying supplies or getting drunk, the ship was gone and their crew was knocked out. I'm assuming it was stolen but maybe it was mutiny. They didn't say." He finally turned back to look at Nami.

Visibly paling, Nami looked around at the partying pirates, her eyebrows furrowed. "You don't say…"

"Yes!" said Alvida loudly as she came up from behind Sanji. "It was a horrible tragedy, and it'll be a huge setback to the crew if we don't get it back."

Noting Nami's reaction but not really knowing what to make of it, he glanced at her oddly before turning back to Alvida. "Ah, that reminds me. Since I've found my friends, I'll obviously not come with you when you keep searching. Good luck finding the ship, though. And thanks for the ride."

"Oh, no, I don't think continuing our search is necessary," said Alvida smoothly. "Come to think of it, I'm not so sure I'd want you coming along anyway."

Suddenly, a bottle smashed down over Sanji's head from behind, bits of glass scattering through the air. The next few moments were pandemonium between Zoro leaping up and charging at the group of pirates that had started attacking and Usopp's startled screams. But as soon as the bodyguard's swords were unsheathed, it only became more chaotic as bodies began to fall against the deck.

Stumbling against the wall, Sanji brought his hands up to the blood staining his light hair, and slumped to the ground. A fall of blond covering his eyes and the blood running down his face made it difficult to see if he was unconscious or simply trying to gather his wits before attacking.

Luffy had nearly choked at the sudden attack, and it took a few seconds of serious coughing to be able to breathe correctly again. Looking around wildly, he was surprised to see Zoro cutting away at the pirates as easily as a child flattening the grass running through a field.

Movement caught his eye and he looked over just in time to see Sanji dropping to the ground with Alvida standing nearby. One of her crew was standing beside Sanji with a broken bottle still held in his hand, while Nami and Usopp were kneeling by the chef. Noticing Alvida's wide smirk and the confident way she wielded her spiked club, he knew they had planned this all along.

"Alvida!" he yelled, running at her as she moved across the ship.

The dark-haired woman gave a cruel smile as she stared down at Luffy. "So _you're_ the fools who stole our ship. Somehow, I'm not surprised just by looking at you. Too poor to afford a ship of your own, no doubt."

Not bothering to respond to her taunt, he just grit his teeth and snapped his arm back. His fist flew forward in a punch, as he hoped to get her right away.

Her head didn't move even a centimeter as the prince's fist connected - and slipped - against her jaw. A smirk drew across her face as she looked up, apparently unscathed. "I ate a devil fruit, too. You can't hurt me like that."

Now it was her turn. Gripping tightly onto her club, she charged forward and swung it outward toward Luffy.

So surprised to find another Devil Fruit, especially one whose power seemed different than his, Luffy almost didn't think to dodge in time. His shirt caught and ripped on the spikes of her club as it swooshed past him, and he jumped back to give himself more room. "What the hell!" he blurted, looking down at his fist in shock. Why didn't it hit her? Did she dodge that fast?

Drawing his arm back again, he tried again. "Don't run away this time! Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"

Yet again the punch was deflected right off her very skin. "Nice try!" she sneered, whipping the club out again.

Luffy dodged quickly, again barely making it out of the way before he got hit. He thought he felt the spikes graze his skin that time but he ignored it. Jerking to a stop a few steps away, his hat fell off in the motion. It rustled against the back of his neck, held on by the string, as he glared at her. "Why doesn't it work?" he demanded, frustrated. "How can you dodge so fast?"

"You will never be able to hit me," she laughed. "Why do you keep trying? The sube sube fruit will never let you touch me. My body will always be perfect." She gave a coy smile. "You know you want it, though."

Gritting his teeth, Luffy took a brief moment to think. She said nothing would touch her, but maybe he just wasn't being fast enough. Or he wasn't aiming well enough. Could a fruit really make her body so smooth it couldn't be touched? He shouldn't wonder, really, since he was rubber now, but the fruits seemed so impossible.

Making up his mind, he tried something new. He punched one fist then the other, back and forth, and soon the rubber was snapping his hands forward and back so fast that his arms appeared to multiply. "Gomu Gomu no Gattling Gun!" he yelled, aiming for her torso where he shouldn't be able to miss with so many fists.

She didn't even bother moving this time; her hand neatly clutching the club as each punch was deflected.

Meanwhile, Zoro was catching this exchange from the corner of his eye. Thrusting all of his weight forward, he tossed several other enemies overboard as he valiantly tried to move his way toward the prince. "Luffy-!"

Snapping his arms back, Luffy twisted a bit to contain the momentum and slid to a stop near the railing of the deck. He couldn't hear Zoro's yell over the sounds of battle all around them, and even if he had, he was too involved in the fight to respond.

"I _can _hit you!" he growled in a belated answer to her earlier taunt. "Even with a fruit you're not invincible!" Seriously frustrated, he whipped his leg around, hoping to catch her legs with his and knock her to the ground where she couldn't _possibly _evade his punches.

But Alvida was growing bored with her one-sided battle. As soon as the kick was deflected, she scowled and kicked off one of her shoes. Running forward, she gained momentum and slid forward on the bare sole of her foot, swinging mightily at the prince with the spiked weapon.

Off-balance, Luffy tried to account for the failure and dodge again, but Alvida was taking no chances this time. Even as he tried to throw himself backwards, her speed was too great with the new skill she showed.

Being rubber probably kept the club from ripping through his skin, muscles and organs, but it didn't diminish the strength of her hit at all. All the breath slammed out of his body even as he felt himself fly over the railing. There was a moment of confusion where the sea was above him and the ship was upside down and his entire right side burned in pain. He didn't think to reach for the railing and even if he had, he didn't have time before the ocean reached up to swallow him. All he got was a quick breath of air dragged through a throbbing torso, and then it was darkness.

"Luffy!" Zoro's teeth gritted as he saw the prince plunge into the watery depths below. Though his heart stopped momentarily, he took in a sharp breath and bravely sliced at one of his attackers. Whirling around toward the female captain, he focused on his next target. Dark eyes narrowing, he growled before lunging forward. "Damn you!"

But his blades made no impact against her either, and his mind suddenly reeled at how baffling this was. What was going on? Why couldn't he touch her?

Alvida only snorted. "Men can be so stupid."

Usopp was tensely watching the exchange from the sidelines, a hand tightly gripping onto Sanji's slack arm. "This doesn't look good," he murmured to Nami. He looked down at Sanji, concern etched deeply into his face. "We gotta do something."

Nami nodded absently, her expression serious as she glanced around quickly. Zoro had managed to decimate most of the pirates, but there were still a few groups struggling back to their feet and looking ready to pounce. "Having another fighter around would be _really _helpful right about now." Turning back to Usopp, she stared at him intently. "We need to get rid of that woman; her crew probably won't stop at least until then. Maybe even after she's defeated, but it's worth a try. Have any ideas?"

The curly-haired man hesitated a moment as he looked at some of the pirates coming their way. "O-oi, why do I have to be the one to come up with ideas?" But then he glanced at Sanji again before shifting his attention to Zoro's fruitless attempts at fighting Alvida. "I…I think I have an idea, but I don't want anything to happen to Sanji while I pull it off…"

"Don't worry about _that," _Nami said with a fierce smile, readying herself to stand. "I can protect him for awhile, I just can't do it indefinitely." Straightening, she reached down her shirt and produced three rods that, with a practiced flick of her wrist, she reattached into a staff. Widening her stance and holding the weapon toward the approaching pirates, she said over her shoulder, "If you can handle the woman, I can handle Sanji. Go!"

Visibly paling, Usopp shakily stood as he watched Nami assume a fighting position. "Y-you better not mess up," he said. "'Cause the Great Captain Usopp won't forgive you!" Swallowing hard, he turned away and began to head up the stairs and toward the storage room.

Zoro, meanwhile, had decided that he wasn't faring well. Between trying to lay a hit against Alvida and avoiding her fierce club, a part of him was worrying over what had become of Luffy. He vaguely remembered the boy telling him that he could hold his breath for long periods of time, which was definitely good for them both in this case.

Nami narrowed her eyes as the pirates came rushing at her, ignoring Zoro who was clearly fighting their boss, and Usopp who had run away. They would get the coward later. She could see they were amused that a mere girl was there to fight them, but she would show them the power women could hold. They should know better, anyway, given that their captain was a woman too.

She slammed the staff into the first man, knocking him to the side immediately. Another came but she was there for him, swiping his legs from beneath him by attacking the back of his knees and he was on the ground. Smacking the staff against his head, she moved on to the next.

There weren't that many left, but there were enough. She was just about to curse Sanji eternally for getting knocked out so soon in the battle when she heard him twitch and groan. "Sanji!" she yelled urgently as a man nearly gutted her with his knife. How in the world had she almost missed that?

There was a slightly louder groan as Sanji shifted and lifted a hand to his head groggily. "Sanji!" she yelled again, determined. "You have to get up! We need your help!"

He looked up, the grogginess and confusion in his eye as well as body language, but he quickly noted the sprawled bodies around them and Nami narrowly dodging another knife. Cursing, he jumped to his feet and took a moment for the wooziness to subside before he appeared at her side to continue the fight.

Alvida barely noticed that the blond had woken up. Instead, she was focusing her attention on trying to beat Zoro. The swordsman barely dodged another blow from the club, and she persisted once again, nicking him with a second strike. "You'll be drowning with that boy in a moment!" she laughed.

"What?" Zoro snarled. Was Luffy drowning? The prince had told him that he was capable of swimming; this woman wasn't making any sense. But the statement unnerved him enough to where he had once again failed to dodge a blow, the strike drawing blood as he fell back against the deck.

But Alvida only shook her head, laughing as she held the club over Zoro's body. "You fool. The ocean swallows every devil fruit user." Just as she was about to slam the weapon into Zoro's paling face, a fish net suddenly dropped from one of the higher levels of the ship, entangling the woman and sending her slipping onto the deck beside Zoro.

"Ah-_hah!_" cried Usopp triumphantly from above, lingering beside a set of stairs. "Take that, you bottle-wielding fiend!" As soon as he started laughing happily, Zoro had gotten up and taken a dive into the chilly water below.

Luffy had expected to fall underwater, to scrabble around in the salty darkness for a bit with flailing arms and legs, and to resurface for a great gasp of air as he tried to find a way back on deck. He had planned to get a better breath when he was above water, had figured that even if at first he was really clumsy in righting himself underwater, he would be fine.

He should have been fine, but he wasn't.

He knew immediately that something was wrong. He had fallen into the sea enough times to know that the impact could be shocking at first, but he always recovered quickly and scrambled his way back to air. This time, the water engulfed him... and he couldn't move.

He couldn't move.

His eyes strained open in shock, teeth gritted to keep the bit of air in his lungs he'd managed to catch, and his arms and legs were just resting calmly in the currents around him and he _couldn't move! _

He tried to tell his legs to twitch, tried to tell his arms to jerk and his feet to paddle and his body to move steadily toward the diminishing light above him. But he was caught, paralyzed by the depth and strength of the sea, and it was all he could do to force his mouth to remain shut and air to stay trapped in his lungs.

As he drifted further down, he couldn't help thinking that he felt heavier than he should. That the water felt heavier too. Dark, cold currents and they reached for him cloyingly, wrapped around him and gently eased the strength away from his body. Felt like the life was being sucked out of him slowly, quietly, taken by the ocean at the center of his most treasured dreams. Pulling silently at his control and his eyes felt heavy with the depth of the sea and situation even as his heart rocketed around in his chest.

-He needed to move. He needed to _move! _-

But there was no movement and he was alone, and it was quiet and peaceful down there, even if his heartbeat was an angry tattoo in his chest and he could feel the blood thundering distantly through his head. The ocean pressed in around him darkly and he could see his own hand floating above him, floating like someone else's, because he could feel it but it wasn't his and it wouldn't move and it was getting darker.

-had to move, had to-

He tried to look up at the light but it seemed far away and wasn't he sinking too fast? He felt too heavy, everything was heavy, everything but the parts that seemed numb. And it was quiet down here, down in the depths with the currents, and his lungs burned painfully for air. Burned and he tried to hold his breath, tried really hard, he was the best underwater-breath-holder anyone knew, but he didn't have enough in the first place.

Didn't have enough, so how could he expect it to last?

-move! Had to _move_..! Had... had to... -

Violent burning and there was no air. A cloud of bubbles obstructed his vision, and the water came rushing in where air had been. A moment of panic, eyes wide and senses alert and the darkness and heaviness pushed away as his body reacted violently to the water seeping into his lungs. But he couldn't even struggle more than a jerk and a twitch-couldn't even make his body react more than _that!_-and there he was, alone in the darkness with lungs that were now growing heavy too.

No breath, and the sea was cloying, gentle, peaceful; terrifyingly, resoundingly silent, and all he had was the diminishing light to stare at. The pull at his life and he was paralyzed but he knew that he was gliding down, sinking-falling too fast and it was dark and there it went, his strength, dispersed into the water to float away, away, wash up on shore somewhere else and live inside a shell with a hermit crab.

It was dark, really dark, but did he close his eyes or did he just go so deep he lost the light?

Dark, but it was gentle. Gentle pull and a terrible, solid feeling of never returning to the air ever again. Did that mean he was dying?

It should bother him, the thought, but his eyes were closed, or the salt didn't burn anymore, and his lungs couldn't burn when they were filled with that water too and everything was water, inside and out, even his mind was shifting and spreading like water to sea and he couldn't think, closed his eyes if they weren't already, and it was darkness and darkness and gentle, gentle tugging at his life like the tide at the sand. Like the tide... like..

Gentle.. but quiet...

-ying, was he dyin-?

Gentle.

A gentle death, but a death nonetheless.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Skin feeling as if tiny bees were stinging him, Zoro plunged deeper into the water as his eyes struggled to stay open against the salt water. The swordsman's heart raced as he frantically began looking for Luffy. Inwardly, he cursed himself for not trying harder to remember what a devil fruit user's main weakness was, and a piece of him wondered if Alvida had been telling the truth after all.

But the prince had been underwater an awfully long time, and Zoro hadn't even caught a glimpse of him when he leapt off the deck.

_Luffy, where are you?_

His instincts on heightened alert, Zoro's eyes strained against the cold sea just enough for him to see the limp form of the prince. Heart almost stopping, he immediately realized that the boy was slowly sinking into the black depths below. Muscles burning, Zoro thrust himself forward as he desperately tried to contain the air that was bursting to get out of his mouth.

It seemed to take an eternity for the bodyguard to reach his charge, strong arms wrapping securely around him. Zoro was disconcerted to find how limp Luffy was against him...as if he were...

No. He wouldn't allow himself to go there yet. Instead, he channeled all of his energy into making his way to the glowing ocean surface above.

As soon as he felt the cold air blowing against his face, Zoro took in a deep breath before his eyes fell upon Luffy. The boy was a sickly shade of white, his thin body unusually frail as Zoro tightly clung onto him. "Luffy," he panted, trying to rouse him into wakefulness. When the effort failed, Zoro's eyes darted up to the deck.

"Help me up there!" he barked.

Sanji's head appeared over the railing immediately, the fall of his blond hair still managing to obscure his left side even at that angle. He looked as though he was about to say something mocking when he noticed Luffy's condition.

Visible eye widening, he said loudly, startled, "What the_-_Usopp! A rope or ladder, we need something!" In the meantime, he leaned down, arm outstretched as if it would help any. "The hell was he _doing _down there?"

"That bitch hit him into the water," snarled Zoro as Usopp frantically lowered a rope to the pair. The bodyguard reached out, taking a hold of it and hauling both himself and Luffy up the side of the ship. "Turns out he can't swim."

"What!" Sanji grabbed Zoro's arm the moment he was within reach and, bracing his feet against the railing, hauled with all his strength to help the two back on deck. "You'd think you people'd have plans ready for this sort of thing if you knew that."

"I didn't _know_ he couldn't swim!" snapped Zoro as he knelt onto the deck, depositing Luffy in front of himself. "Elsewise I wouldn't have let him fall into the water, dumb ass!" Gritting his teeth, the swordsman reached down and checked the prince for breath and a pulse.

But Luffy's skin was cold to the touch, his chest completely still. If there was a pulse, Zoro could not feel it. He could just as easily have been checking the deck for signs of life.

Edgy with worry, Sanji stood to the side and snapped back, "Well he must be the worst swimmer in the world to sink _that _fast. Why didn't he splash around a bit first? She knock him unconscious before he even hit the water?"

"He's cursed," hissed Zoro. And without further explanation, he reached down, tilted Luffy's head back, pinched the prince's nose, and pressed his mouth over Luffy's. Breathing into him three times, he pulled back enough to see that Luffy's chest had expanded from the borrowed air.

Gritting his teeth, he shifted and placed the palms of his hands just beneath Luffy's ribcage, pressing down several times. "Dammit!"

_Cursed? _Sanji thought in shock, but he stepped back immediately, looking around the deck for help. His thoughts were moving disjointedly, but he suddenly thought of that damn bottle flying for his head. He had not even seen it thrown; had just felt a rush of air approaching him and turned just in time to throw himself to the side. The men he was with were babbling about a stretched arm but he hadn't believed them; had thought it was a trick of the light across the ocean.

But if Luffy was _cursed... _ The legend of the Devil's Fruit. Maybe it was less legend than he thought.

"Just keep doing that!" he demanded, as if the swordsman had any intention of stopping. Jerking to avoid Usopp, who was staring at Luffy with wide eyes, Sanji sprinted across the deck. Nami was beside Alvida, having just knocked her unconscious with her staff, and nodded in the direction of a door when he called out quickly, "Blankets?" He disappeared to find some warmth for when Luffy would awaken.

Zoro, meanwhile, had barely noticed that Sanji had left him. He had breathed into Luffy's mouth and pressed into his chest three times before he quickly moved to check for a pulse once more.

A heartbeat was stuttering to life at about the same time that water began draining steadily from Luffy's mouth and he suddenly choked, arms weakly flailing as if to gain purchase in water he was no longer surrounded by. His eyes squeezed shut and expression tight; he was clearly having a hard time getting a steady breath in. But when his hand came in contact with Zoro's shirt, he suddenly clung to the fabric as if his life depended on it and weakly tried to gravitate closer, still coughing loudly.

"Luffy-" panted Zoro, his hand reaching out to firmly grasp onto the prince's. It was then that he felt a sharp pang tear through his own heart, destroying the numbness he'd felt while trying to revive Luffy. And it was then that he realized that it was almost as if a piece of him had been dying with Luffy, only to be revived at the moment that the prince's pulse began to struggle back into motion.

Hearing Zoro's voice, Luffy squeezed his hand almost painfully and leaned against his knees. He was still coughing but it was more infrequent as he managed to pull in large, desperate gasps of air. He didn't even bother trying to open his eyes yet, feeling like his body was on sensory overload already. Shivering with a rush of cold that hit him, he murmured hoarsely, "Zoro? Sorry, I.. I couldn't move... Something's wrong with the water..."

"Shh." Zoro cut him off, placing a thumb over Luffy's mouth before lifting the prince into his arms as he stood.

Luffy finally slitting his eyes open just enough to peer up at him. He felt himself being lifted but he couldn't clearly see Zoro; the sky seemed too bright behind him, hiding all but the familiar tinge of green haloing his head. Letting his eyes fall closed again, Luffy shivered in his wet clothing and let his head roll limply against Zoro's chest.

"I'm cold," he tried to say, but it came out softer than he wanted and it seemed too muffled against Zoro's chest anyway. So he fell silent, following Zoro's wish.

As if understanding Luffy's mumbled words, Sanji reappeared with several blankets overflowing in his arms and dragging along the deck behind him. Seeing the prince awake, he looked relieved as he jogged closer and quickly placed them on top of him, doing his best to surround him without upsetting Zoro's hold. He glanced at the bodyguard briefly and nodded back toward the door he had just come from, as if silently telling him the room was empty if he wanted a place for Luffy to rest.

Giving the chef a grateful nod, Zoro stepped into the room and moved over to one of the hammocks. Ever so gently, he placed the boy into it, tucking the blanket neatly about his body. "You'll be okay," he quietly assured him. "You just took a nasty spill into the water, that's all..."

Luffy nodded, relaxing into the hammock and watching Zoro with dark, bewildered eyes. His scar stood out even more against the paleness of his skin, but the blankets were a very welcome warmth.

"I didn't lie," he said softly, insistently, "I can hold my breath." He frowned slightly, confusion taking over his expression and tone, "But usually I can move. I don't-" His confusion deepened as he cut himself off with, "Are you going?"

"Going?" murmured Zoro, watching him intently. He didn't like how pale Luffy seemed.

"The room. Are you leaving?"

Shaking his head, Zoro leaned against the wall. "No. I'm not leaving you." A pause. "Unless you want me to, I mean..."

"No!" Luffy said immediately, sharper than he intended with his head rising slightly. He blinked, realized how that must have sounded, and let his head drop back to the hammock again. "No," he said, softer. "I want you here."

Mildly surprised at how passionate Luffy had sounded, Zoro nodded. "All right." Settling down onto the floor, he leaned back on his hands as he gazed upon Luffy from where he sat.

Quiet a moment, Luffy just watched the ceiling and tried to figure out what he wanted. The hammock was comfortable enough, the blankets perfectly nice warmth and weights, but he still felt a little jittery, a little unsure. Like if he closed his eyes he would still be underwater, paralyzed and not knowing why, watching the light dwindle above-

"Zoro," he said suddenly, pushing himself up onto his elbows and staring down at his bodyguard with an intent, but slightly confused, expression. "Can-I mean..." He paused, unable to form the thought in his mind, and frowned in frustration. He thought suddenly of how comforting it had been at Baratie to have Zoro next to him, how the same feeling had been there in the clinic in Syrup Village. A steady presence, something he very much wanted right then.

"Can... I come down there?"

Zoro watched him for a moment with a clear, almost all-knowing gaze. "Sure," he said at length. "Need me to come get you?"

Luffy stared back, for some reason feeling the slightest of heat rising to his cheeks in a faint blush. He looked away, confused still and not understanding anything that was clambering in his mind, but knowing he wanted this nonetheless. "No, I..."

He paused, reached for the blankets and pushed himself up enough to swing his legs over the side. He managed to get himself off the hammock and onto the ground, shivering as he realized he was still wearing his stupid wet clothing. Staring down at Zoro from a few feet away, with a few blankets trailing onto the ground by his side, his straw hat bedraggled at his back, he said with a slight question in his voice, "I just... wanted to make sure it was okay first."

"It's fine." Zoro gave a small nod as he spoke. "You might want to take off those clothes, though, or you'll catch a cold."

Luffy smiled slightly, amused. "You're wet too, you know." He looked down at the blankets, one quite damp on the underside while the others remained surprisingly dry. "Do we have anything to wear?"

Zoro looked down at his damp garments and grimaced. "I guess we could use our old clothes from earlier."

With a half-nod, Luffy glanced around and noticed their bags still resting near the door from when they had thrown them in earlier. Making a detour to them, he slowly crouched and rustled around inside. He couldn't believe how tired he felt, like every movement took three times more thought and energy than it should. Before long he had their robes from earlier in hand, though, and pushing himself back up he dragged the clothes and blankets closer to Zoro.

"Here." Dropping the blankets near his bodyguard's feet and tossing Zoro his robe, Luffy reached back to pull the string from his straw hat over his head so he could change as well. He felt clumsy but it was more in his mind than his movements.

Zoro frowned as he took the clothes, beginning to undress himself. "And then you'll rest," he said firmly. "You're still really pale."

"'m fine," Luffy mumbled behind the sopping wet red vest currently covering his face. He paused for a moment, looking ridiculous with his arms crossed high at an awkward angle and caught in the fabric, his stomach exposed but upper body lost behind the red. There was almost sheepish silence from him as he hunched over to try to pull the shirt off from a different angle. Stupid wet clothing...

He could do this. It would just take a few moments longer than he expected. ...Maybe Zoro wasn't looking and wouldn't tease him about this later.

His shirt wadded up onto the ground, Zoro looked over his shoulder and beheld the mess behind him. But he didn't laugh.

"You need help?"

"No.." Luffy said, still muffled. He took a few steps back as if to try this from another angle and hunched over more. After a few more tries, he managed to get the shirt off up higher but in the process, his arms were caught a little stronger.

"Uh..." Another sheepish silence, and then he tilted his body in Zoro's general direction. "Maybe?"

Zoro stepped over toward Luffy. "What seems to be the problem?"

"My arms're stuck," he said as he tried to straighten. "I forgot there were buttons." His upper body twisted toward Zoro's voice, still looking ridiculous as he tried shifting his arms a bit. "Can you get the bottom?"

Reaching down, Zoro grasped onto the fabric and began to adjust it. "Try this..."

Following the suggestion, Luffy tried pulling the shirt off again and found it a bit easier. After a few seconds of struggling he managed to finally break free from the fabric, his hair completely askew and a slightly flushed grin on his face. "Ahh, thanks!" he said, not as loudly as he usually would but still cheerful. "I thought I'd be stuck there forever..."

Zoro grinned a little in spite of himself. "Heh, no problem." He turned away after a moment, the forming scars glistening beneath the salty sheen of water as he started taking off the rest of his clothes.

Although he intended to keep changing, the scars caught Luffy's attention so he stood there watching. How much must those have hurt? His scar had hurt quite a bit, but a knife wound was probably different than one from a whip. Vest dangling from his fingers, Luffy forgot to keep changing as he wondered where he had put the back cream, and whether he was too tired to put some on his bodyguard yet that night.

Oblivious to Luffy's gaze, Zoro tossed his wet pants and underwear onto the floor next to his boots. Toned muscles flexed as he leaned down to pick up the folded robes; the swordsman apparently was not too worried about modesty.

Blinking at first, Luffy outright stared at what he could see of Zoro in the semi-darkness. While before he was more spacing out with his eyes pointed in his general direction, he was now definitely paying attention. He couldn't help admiring Zoro's physique; compared to him, Luffy felt himself to be rather scrawny. No wonder the man could get in so many fights and keep going; his body was as solid as steel.

For some reason that thought made his stomach abruptly warm, the feeling spreading. Looking away quickly-vaguely embarrassed but not knowing why-he turned his back on Zoro and started undressing as well. He felt like he should be saying something to cover his awkwardness but then he thought it would just draw more attention to it.

Within moments, Zoro had slipped on his robes, satisfied by how warm they felt in comparison to the soggy garments that were now on the floor. "Feels like tonight would be a nice time for a fire," he remarked.

"Yeah," Luffy answered, a bit distracted as he finally managed to pull the robes over his head. He paused, not really sure what to say after that, his thoughts still wanting to return to what he had just seen. Adjusting his own warm robes, he turned with a smile. "Our clothes could dry at least."

"Yeah, that's good," said Zoro as he turned around and settled onto the floor again. He seemed to sense that Luffy's mind was elsewhere, though. "...something wrong?"

A little startled, Luffy shook his head firmly. "No, nothing."

But he blinked and fell silent after that as he watched Zoro. He hadn't really thought about it before, but he liked just watching him. His expressions and the way he moved. It was fascinating... and what had he done before he met Zoro anyway? He had only known him a short while. How could he care more about someone he just met than some of the people he had known all his life?

Looking away, he said the first thing that came to mind. "You rescued me?" The question was almost idle, as if he knew the answer but wanted to confirm it.

"Yeah." He gave a small nod before briefly pausing. "Sit down and rest, you still look pale."

Luffy hesitated slightly then wondered why he hesitated. This was frustrating! He was used to knowing what he wanted immediately and going for it. Nodding, he made his way to the wall and slid down until he was sitting.

"Thanks," he said a little belatedly.

"For what?" snorted Zoro. "It's your floor too."

Luffy rolled his eyes and couldn't help a small grin. "I meant for saving me, dumbass."

"Oh." Slightly stung at the insult, Zoro frowned while looking at a beam of moonlight. "I'm your bodyguard. It's not a big deal. And I'm not a dumbass."

Looking over at Zoro's tone, Luffy felt a little bad for his wording. He hadn't meant it the way it probably sounded. "Yeah, I know," he said a little apologetically. "I didn't really..." He paused, tilted his head. "You're not a dumbass at all. And I can still thank you even if you're my bodyguard, right? I'd be dead if you hadn't helped." The last was said simply, because he knew it was true. He wasn't even certain he _hadn't _died for awhile... there was a darkness for awhile there that he didn't care to examine.

Zoro lightly bowed his head. "You _were_ dead," he corrected him.

Luffy was quiet a second. "Was I?" he asked, a little distantly. "I was sure I was dead underwater. That was... I've never-" He stopped, tried again, his head tilted down so he could stare at his curled hands in his lap.

"I love the ocean but that was terrifying." His voice was soft, almost disembodied in the dark. "Even the bit of light from the sky seemed like forever away. And I couldn't even _move..._"

"You're safe now," Zoro interrupted, his voice assuring. "I wouldn't lose you if it killed me."

Luffy smiled slightly, humorlessly. He was touched by the sentiment but somehow the words echoed Kaya's concern for his safety as a prince too much. Like even his own death was not his and instead belonged to his country, whenever it so chose to let him die.

"I'd rather you didn't," he said aloud, ignoring his thoughts. Tilting his head with a serious expression, he watched Zoro. "It's really important to me that you're alright."

Zoro looked up at Luffy, silent for a brief moment as if deliberating on what to say next. "But I want to keep you safe." His eyes narrowed some. "And I know you think it's 'cause you're the damn prince."

Luffy laughed softly at Zoro's expression, the narrowed eyes that probably would seem intimidating to some but to him was almost endearing. "Well, you _are_ my bodyguard. You'd probably feel like a failure if I died, so of course you'd want me alive. But it wouldn't be true, you failing." He shrugged with one shoulder. "It would just be my time. Even if it happens terribly or right in front of you, there's no need to worry. Death happens."

Zoro took in a soft breath, shaking his head slightly. "No. You don't understand."

Frowning slightly in confusion, Luffy blinked. "What? It's true, though. People die. Of course, I'd do everything I absolutely could to keep _you_ alive, so maybe I'm being a hypocrite." He trailed off a little questioningly, wondering if that's what Zoro meant.

Zoro shook his head again, but didn't elaborate on his true meaning.

Luffy almost decided it didn't matter and changed the subject but something stopped him. He narrowed his eyes a little, curious and confused. "Zoro, you know I don't think of you as just my bodyguard, right?"

Silence speaking for him, Zoro only continued staring into the moonlight.

A true frown came out now, Luffy's voice incredulous but completely earnest. "Are you serious? Do you know how _important_ you are to me? You're almost more important than _Ace_, and I don't even know why. I've known him my entire life, I left my home and the life I knew to find him... and I have to. I _want_ to. But... I can't imagine doing it without you. I can't even remember what I did before you were around. I don't know how I'm even still alive considering how many times you've saved me. You're like... you've become like... _breathing_."

He stopped abruptly, all the other things that he wanted to say falling silent in the face of that revelation. It was true. Zoro _was_ like breathing to him now... something inevitable, something he needed to live.

Head snapping toward Luffy, Zoro blinked and opened up his mouth to speak. But nothing came out...he simply couldn't muster anything adequate enough for the situation. Luffy's words had been unexpected, and Zoro felt his insides squirm at how heartfelt they had been.

"Like... breathing?" he echoed at length.

Seeing he had Zoro's attention, Luffy nodded and leaned a little closer as if to lend more weight to his words. "Yes. Breathing. You're..." He had to pause, trying to figure out the words. "You're so damn important that you've made me rethink even how I see the world. You've made me feel even more like I can do what I want eventually, if I just keep trying. I don't give a damn if you're my bodyguard or not. That's just extra information at this point. I want you safe because you're _you_. I care about you because you're _you_. I..."

He took a deep breath, tilted his head toward his lap but peered up with dark eyes half-hidden by his bangs. "I just... _really_ care about you. So. Don't forget it, okay? You're incredibly important. I can't even explain it."

Staring at him intently, Zoro tried to find any signs of wavering, uncertainty or untruth in Luffy's eyes. But, as expected, the prince's gaze was strong, firm and steady. Luffy was telling the truth; he had meant every word of what he'd said.

It was as if their adventures, their hardships, their arguments, their late night chats from the last two and a half months had rolled, meshed and combined together to lead them up to this moment. Zoro knew that they were about to experience some sort of turning point in their friendship; a part of that really unnerved him, but a deeper piece of him couldn't help but feel drawn to this lowering of barriers, like a moth to a flame.

Zoro knew that it was harder for him to speak his mind than it was for Luffy. Sure, the bodyguard tended to be rough and tough whenever he needed. He could always set someone straight, put them in their place, let them know who was boss. If he was angry with someone, he always confronted them about it. When his opinion was needed, he was always more than willing to give it.

But this man had just bore his soul to him, opened himself up in a way that Zoro himself had never even dreamed of. In a way that Zoro never thought that he himself could.

So, instead, he continued gazing back at Luffy, trying to find a way to communicate his mixed feelings through the connection that they both knew they shared.

The silence stretched but it was not uncomfortable. Luffy watched Zoro through the shadow of his hair, tilting his head the slightest so that his bangs shifted to the side and revealed more of his eyes. He smiled, something partially amused and partially gentle, and simply stared back.

He really didn't know what to say either. His words had all been true, but not meant to force Zoro to say anything back. He had just needed to get his feelings across so there was no more confusion, so someone who meant a lot to him would not believe himself trivial in Luffy's mind. And, really, there was nothing more he could say after all that.

Sometimes it was better to say it all without words. He let the smile stay and tried to seem as unassuming as possible. He had no ulterior motives, no manipulations in mind to make Zoro speak. He was as completely content with staying silent the rest of the night as he was with them discussing it. Even so, Luffy thought he understood. He could read something in Zoro's eyes that spoke to him of words not being enough, or maybe just not being correct.

Maybe that was why he had none to give back himself.

Zoro was the first to break eye contact, Luffy's intense, almost calculating stare inducing a faint blush on the swordsman's face. With the way the man read him, Zoro felt like he was almost naked.

But Luffy's steady presence ultimately drew Zoro's eyes back to him. "You are...more than the Prince." His voice was hoarse and soft. Taking in a soft breath, he was about to continue, but he stopped short and let his gaze finish his thought. _You are my best friend._

Luffy smiled, a sincere expression that warmed his eyes considerably and seemed to soften everything about him. He lifted his hand, the gesture confident but slow enough to be stopped without hurting his feelings. Fingertips lightly touching Zoro's forehead, he brushed against the short green bangs and trailed his hand down. Gentle pressure past Zoro's temple, down his cheek to pause at the jaw line, and there he let his fingers rest for the moment.

Eyes dark but deep with affection, Luffy searched Zoro's expression for a reaction or for more unspoken words. "Thank you," he breathed softly with his voice and the gentle pressure of his hand. _You're mine too._

Upon feeling the gentle touch, Zoro took in the tiniest of breaths and met Luffy's gaze. "L-Luffy..."

Encouraged by not being pushed away, Luffy slid his hand up to press lightly against Zoro's cheek. The quiet feel of another person's skin beneath his hand momentarily fascinated him. He was accustomed to grandiose movements and the fleeting, distant touch of someone well aware of his aristocracy. He often reached out to others in quick hugs or pounces, and was of course accustomed to the lingering feeling of his mother's arms around him or the impact of training and fighting.

But he could not clearly recall ever spending a quiet moment just touching someone on the face, without one of them pulling away or it all being in jest. And if ever it _had _happened before, he was certain it must have been with Zoro. Blinking slowly, Luffy's expression turned more satisfied, his smile a little bit brighter.

Zoro only stared up at him, his heart beating a little harder in his chest as he practically drank in Luffy's sincere gaze. The Prince was the only person who had been brave enough to touch Zoro like this. If that wasn't surprising enough, the fact that he did it so gently and carefully instantly captured Zoro's attention.

His other hand rising almost of its own accord, Luffy continued to stare into Zoro's eyes as he placed his palm against his other cheek. He let his hands still there; thumbs resting near the corners of Zoro's eyes while his fingers spread between his temples and jaw. There he waited a moment, his body twisted at a mildly awkward angle though he felt completely comfortable. Maybe it was the fact that he was rubber. Or maybe it was just that Zoro was letting him get so close.

Slowly and experimentally, Zoro grazed Luffy's hands with his own calloused fingers.

Luffy smiled encouragingly and finally broke eye contact just so he could watch his hands as they slid up, fingers brushing Zoro's hairline. He paused very briefly there, vaguely noting how happy he was that Zoro was letting him touch him without pulling away. At the same time, he felt a bit of a thrill in his stomach, like he was chasing something and he was about to catch it, or maybe that he was the one who would be caught by something else. It was a confusing feeling, so he decided not to think about it much.

Still, he liked Zoro's hair for some reason. It was the color, maybe. Or the way it stuck up at all those funny angles but looked like it was on purpose. Maybe it was the way it was always a little flattened on one side when Zoro woke up, or maybe it was how a few strands always clung to his forehead like very tiny bangs.

Whatever the case, he found himself wondering curiously what it would feel like to run his hands through it. And since he wasn't sure Zoro would ever let him do this again (although he was hopeful that he would), Luffy decided to press his hands forward. With his fingers parting Zoro's hair, it reminded him a little of ten very small people running through a field, the tall grass scattering in their wake.

In spite of himself, Zoro closed his eyes at the touch, almost like a dog being scratched behind the ears for the first time in years. He could feel how careful and thorough Luffy was being, as if the Prince was trying to commit every aspect of Zoro's head and face to memory.

Luffy glanced down and noticed how peaceful Zoro looked. He grinned a little to himself, feeling strangely proud that he was the cause of that expression. How many people had seen him so calm and at peace? Was he one of very few, or maybe even the first? But he was almost at the end of his reach, and even though he was rubber he found it difficult to stretch without a jerky movement first. Like throwing his arm back and letting the momentum do it.

So he shifted, raised himself to his knees and turned so he was at a better angle. His hands did not move from their position the entire time, and he let his fingers continue their exploration of Zoro's hair as soon as he could.

Lips lightly quirking, Zoro cracked an eye open. "You're tickling me," he mumbled, though the statement was light and hardly a complaint.

Luffy grinned to himself. "I bet it could be worse," he said mildly, though he paused his hands anyway and leaned back a little to look down at Zoro's face.

The bodyguard's cheeks were lightly flushed as he met Luffy's gaze. "A lot worse," he grinned.

Luffy could not help laughing lightly as he leaned back more. His hands were very light on Zoro's head now, and he found his gaze traveling unconsciously to watch his fingers play with a few particularly rebellious strands. "...I like your hair," he said with a pleased little smile.

"It's okay, I guess," said Zoro, looking a little embarrassed now.

Luffy laughed again, but this time he sat back on his heels, letting his hands fall into his lap. "It's nice," he insisted, amused by Zoro's response.

Zoro only gave a small, "Hmm," as he looked at Luffy carefully. His face felt strangely cold without the warmth the Prince had provided.

"You just don't get to see it much," Luffy said after a moment. "I bet you don't carry mirrors around. Sometimes I forget what my hair looks like too, but mine's a lot messier than yours." Normally, he didn't even notice (let alone _care_ about) anyone else's hair. It must be the color, he decided once and for all. It had to be that unique green that drew his eye.

Zoro snorted. "I don't carry a mirror 'cause I'm not a vain bastard." He paused, as if coming to this next conclusion for the first time. "So...I guess I don't really get to see my face that much after all."

Luffy could not help laughing at Zoro's bluntness, one hand resting near his stomach as if for support as the other dropped to the floor between the two. He finally sat completely on the floor again, comfortable near Zoro.

"No, you probably don't," Luffy agreed, unable to stop grinning. He wished he could hear Zoro call some of the pompous courtiers he'd known 'vain bastards' for something they would see as simple and necessary as owning a mirror. "That's too bad, really. But you probably wouldn't care much about your own face, would you?"

"Not as much as you seem to," said Zoro, sounding almost sly.

"Ahh," Luffy said with a knowing tilt to his lips when he looked over. "Maybe if you were a vain bastard you'd know why."

Zoro flushed suddenly and gave a very intelligent-sounding, "What?"

Luffy grinned mischievously, amusement dancing in his eyes. Was he a bad person to take great pleasure in catching Zoro off-guard like that and making him flush? "Guess this is something we just can't settle until we have a mirror," he lamented. "But I don't have one with me either so you'll have to take my word."

Zoro folded his arms, staring intently at a beam of moonlight. "Quit teasing me," he muttered.

"I'm not teasing, it's the truth!" Luffy protested, though there was laughter in his voice. "But I'll stop."

Dark eyes glanced toward Luffy again, and Zoro tried to sound nonchalant. He couldn't hide the faint, pink tint in his cheeks, though. "Maybe you should rest."

Studying Zoro in the moonlight, Luffy looked away after a heartbeat and nodded. "Yeah, maybe," he agreed, reaching down to pull the blankets closer.

It was true. Exhaustion was creeping back in now that he wasn't distracted, and sleep was sounding better by the minute. Making sure his straw hat was securely retied around his neck, he settled against the wall and closed his eyes. It wasn't the most comfortable of positions, but it would do. He didn't want to sleep across the room in a hammock without Zoro nearby; he didn't want to be alone.

The swordsman eyed him carefully. "That doesn't look very comfortable."

Luffy shrugged. "It'll work." He paused, slit one eye open and tilted his head just enough to regard Zoro through his eyelashes. "Unless you move closer to the hammocks or something."

Zoro watched him intently for a moment. "If that'll make you rest."

"It will."

"Alright." Stretching lightly, Zoro stood up.

Following his lead, Luffy stood as well, pulling the blankets up with him and smiling at his bodyguard. He started across the cabin, moving slowly but happily, and paused near the hammocks.

"Are you sleeping too?" he asked curiously, wondering if he should choose a hammock near others or if Zoro planned to sit on the ground regardless.

"I suppose I might as well," said Zoro slowly as he followed Luffy toward the hammocks.

"'Kay." Bypassing the first hammock, Luffy settled for one that was closest to another. Accounting for the gentle rolling of the ship through the waves, he climbed his way onto the hammock and flopped over onto his back with a tired sigh. "Wow, I really _am _sleepy," he said mostly to himself, his words a little slurred as he stifled a yawn.

Suddenly, the door to the men's quarters cracked open, and Usopp's distinct profile poked through. "Is...everything okay in here?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Zoro as he climbed into the hammock next to Luffy's. "We're just turning in for the night."

Bringing a hand up for a lazy wave, Luffy turned his head toward Usopp and smiled sleepily. "Hey, Usopp. You gonna sleep too? There're lotsa hammocks..."

Behind Usopp, Sanji's voice could be heard demanding, "What'd he say? Are they okay, or what?"

"He says they're fine," said Usopp, turning to face the cook.

Sanji peered over Usopp's shoulder with a frown. "Yeah?" He crossed his arms, a newly lit cigarette dangling from his lips. "He could've told us that without letting us worry, then." But he kept his voice pitched low to not disturb Luffy and the complaint was almost more routine than anything.

"Oi, you could have checked yourself," grumbled Zoro from within the room.

"Maybe we didn't want to disturb you," Sanji retorted immediately. He paused briefly, and said before Zoro could properly reply, "Need more blankets or anything, Luffy?"

"Nah'm good," Luffy mumbled, pulling the blankets closer and snuggling into them. "Real warm, thanks."

Sanji nodded to himself, satisfied, and took a half step back so he wasn't hovering over Usopp's shoulder so much. "Good."

"I'll probably join you guys later," said Usopp. "I'm getting kinda tired myself." He paused. "You sure you're okay, Luffy?"

Luffy nodded against the blankets, and took the time to open his eyes fully and lift his head a bit to see Usopp better, silhouetted though he may be against the moonlight. "Yeah," he said with a serious gaze. "I'm fine now, just kinda tired." He paused, smiled with the glint of his teeth showing in the dim light. "I'll be just great in the morning after I eat, you'll see. So can we have meat tomorrow, Sanji?"

A wry snort was all the answer he received from the cook, but he took it to be a yes.

Zoro turned over in his hammock, his eyes closing. He was glad to see that the Prince would recover quickly. "...G'night," he murmured with a small smile.

"Night," Luffy mumbled, pleased. He wrapped himself up in his cocoon of blankets and felt himself slowly drift to sleep.

Smirking slightly to himself, Sanji reached past Usopp and gently shut the door. "C'mon, Usopp," he said, "let's let those dorks sleep."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

The next morning came a lot sooner than Roronoa Zoro had expected. As the stray sunbeams filtered through the windows, he tried to cover his eyes with his blanket. Though he briefly woke up, he soon buried himself back into the comfort of his hammock until he heard a shout from above to come eat breakfast.

Grumbling some, he shifted irritably as he tried to block the obtrusive sound from reaching his ears. But his efforts were in vain as the call came again.

"All right, all _right_, I'm coming!" he muttered at last, trying to sit up without tipping himself onto the floor.

Luffy was sleeping too deeply to hear the call, which was amazing in itself since it dealt with food. He was sprawled across the hammock, buried beneath blankets with only his hair peeking out across the pillow, one hand dangling to his left and his right foot hanging over the edge. Lightly snoring, he seemed completely oblivious to everything around him.

"Oi." Zoro placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder, roughly shaking him. "Time to wake up."

Luffy jolted awake, blinking in confusion and staring at Zoro. "Wha-?" His body woke before his brain, though, because he smelled the aroma of breakfast and jumped out of the hammock immediately. "Breakfast?" he asked hopefully.

Zoro simply nodded. "We'd better go eat it before it gets cold." He paused, looking the dark-haired man over. The smell of their awaiting meal seemed to perk Luffy up quite a bit, but the ordeal from the other day still weighed heavily on the bodyguard's mind. "You feeling okay?"

Luffy yawned briefly but nodded. "Yeah but I'll be better after some meat." He grinned at Zoro before pivoting and heading for the door. He didn't run out, like he usually would, but he didn't look to be in pain and was still walking quickly. "C'mon, Zoro, before everyone eats it all!"

Crankily muttering a short reply, Zoro followed after him and stepped into the bright light of the morning sun. Rubbing his eyes, the green-haired man glanced around. "Wait...where's the kitchen again?" he blearily asked. The ship's layout was still annoyingly new to him.

Luffy was bounding up the stairs already by the time Zoro appeared. He didn't appear to have heard Zoro's question, but his loud shout of, "Sanji! Food!" certainly gave away his position.

As Luffy galloped into the room, Usopp looked up from his plate of eggs, bacon and toast. Apparently, he'd gotten up earlier with Sanji. Grinning, he gave the other fellow a cheerful wave. "Oi, Luffy! You look like you're feeling better!"

Luffy's grin was all the answer he needed for that, but he bounded to the table and dropped next to Usopp and nodded anyway. "Yeah! I'm really hungry though." He looked pointedly at Sanji, who snorted but otherwise seemed to ignore him from his place at the stove.

"Hey, Usopp," Sanji called over his shoulder. "Clear some space in the middle of the table, huh? If Luffy's up that probably means his cranky shadow is too and I don't feel like listening to him bitch that breakfast wasn't ready yet."

At that moment, Zoro ambled into the room, producing a small yawn as he sat down at the table between Luffy and Usopp. He glanced at Usopp and Sanji before looking down at the curly-haired man's plate. "So, what're we eating?"

"What's it look like?" Sanji asked idly as he expertly dropped more bacon in a pan and cracked a few eggs with his other hand.

"Hey, Sanji! Last night you said we'd get lots of meat and bacon's good but I want more! Don't we have a big hunk somewhere?" Luffy peered around the kitchen, as if expecting an entire animal carcass to be waiting just for him.

Sanji was rolling his eyes as he turned around and dropped bacon and an omelet on a clean plate. "Yes, I remember, Luffy. That'll be ready soon."

Luffy grinned widely in excitement and almost vibrated with anticipation. "Okay!" he enthused as Sanji pushed the latest plate toward Zoro.

Picking up a fork and knife, Zoro lightly nodded in Sanji's direction as he shoved some eggs into his mouth. "So, where's Nami?" he asked after he swallowed his food.

"I think she's out keeping watch," replied Usopp. "She's a pretty skilled navigator! It's amazing."

Zoro snorted. "You sound like the Love Cook over there," he muttered, jerking a thumb in Sanji's direction.

Sanji nearly fumbled the frying pan at the name, turning around to level Zoro with an irritated look. "_What _did you just call me, marimo head?"

Luffy started laughing in the background.

"Well, that's what you are, isn't it?" Zoro countered calmly. "You're always chasing after women's skirts."

Usopp chortled. "He does have a point..."

"What! I have far more class than something a 'Love Cook' would have," Sanji retorted, sounding a little indignant. "You should say... Beauty Connoisseur instead."

"Hey Love Cook, when do I get my meat?" Luffy asked, still laughing.

Sanji glared at him, though he seemed a bit sulky when he replied, "As soon as your boyfriend over there calls me something better."

Zoro scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not his boyfriend, you Love Cook."

"Keep calling me that and I'll have some better names for you," Sanji said with an evil little grin as he turned back to the stove.

Zoro snorted as he took another bite of his food. Suddenly, however, the door slammed open and Nami stepped instead.

"Good morning! Is that breakfast you're cooking, Sanji-kun?" she sang.

Sanji went from sulky to saccharine in 0.2 seconds, twirling around with his hands clutched near his chin, his visible eye creasing with exaggerated affection. "Nami-swan! You look so beautiful when you step through the door in the morning! I've created the ultimate delight for you, crafted to perfection from the freshest of our fruits and my overwhelming love!"

From behind a stack of dishes, he produced a plate of fruit so perfectly arranged that it looked to have been glued in place. A perfect omelet rested beside it, with perfectly browned hashbrowns and a few strips of the best bacon he had just made. A tall glass of juice appeared in his other hand as he swooped his way toward her, holding her breakfast as carefully as he would spun glass. "For you, the eternally lovely Nami-san!"

Clasping her hands together, Nami looked utterly delighted. "Why, thank you, Sanji-kun! You're so thoughtful!" She sat herself down at the table, giving the chef a sweet smile. "I've been spending all morning planning our next course, so this gorgeous breakfast is exactly what I need."

"You'll never need to cook again while I'm around, Nami-san! I'll be here to make sure everyone gets perfectly nutritious, delicious meals!"

Luffy craned his neck to see Nami's artfully-presented plate, and frowned petulantly. "Hey, Sanji! I thought I was getting my meat next!"

"Wait your turn!" Sanji snapped at him, turning back to Nami with a smile. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you, Sanji-kun," cooed Nami. "I appreciate the offer, though. This food is _delicious._" She took a small bite of her savory omelet.

"So, if you've spent so much time plotting our course, mind telling me where we're going to go, exactly?" Zoro asked.

Nami sipped her drink as Sanji disappeared to prepare the meat for Luffy. "Well, we're running low on fresh water, so the first thing we need to do is replenish our supplies. We need to head northwest from here for about a day and we'll hit Elbalia, where we can easily get more."

"Elbalia?" Zoro raised an eyebrow. "I've been there before. A lot of grasslands and mountains there."

"Right, with plenty of water," Nami said. "And it's by far our closest choice."

Luffy perked up, speaking around a mouthful of meat. "Mountains! I've never been to one! I hear they're big."

Zoro shrugged and took a drink of his juice. "They're kind of nice, I guess."

"You sound like you've been to a lot of places," Usopp remarked. "I guess you traveled a lot before you met Luffy?"

Zoro lightly scratched his cheek. "You could say that."

"Usopp, you must've traveled too, right?" Luffy asked excitedly. "With your army and everything? Have you ever seen a mountain? I bet it's amazing if Zoro says it's nice, since he understates _everything." _

"Oh, sure, I've been all sorts of places!" Usopp boasted. "I practically saw the whole world before I went to work at Baratie."

"That's amazing!" Luffy enthused.

Sanji snorted but said nothing aloud.

"Anyway," Nami said loudly, before a tangent could get them too far from their original conversation, "later I'm going to do a thorough search of the storage room to check for any other supplies we're running low on, and I'll need some help."

"I'm sure the Love Cook would be more than happy," grumbled Zoro. "Why didn't we take care of all this stuff before we left?"

"Well, we _did_ leave in kind of a hurry," said Usopp.

"Of course I'll help Nami-san," Sanji said testily as he finally sat down with his own plate of food, leveling Zoro with a glare, "but that's because I'm a _gentleman, _unlike some lazy bastards we have on board."

"I wouldn't have made it this far with Luffy if I were lazy," Zoro spat.

"Says who?" Sanji challenged, pleased to have riled Zoro up even a little. "Maybe Luffy did all the work."

The swordsman glared at Sanji. "Luffy and I worked together."

"Ahh," Sanji smirked. "So you only help Luffy and no one else? How selfish."

Baffled, Zoro set down his fork. "Where the hell did you get that?"

Sanji shrugged with one shoulder. "You're the one that refused to help Nami-san but keep claiming Luffy as your excuse for everything."

Luffy blinked at the two, watching them mildly as he shoved his mouth so full of a piece of steak that his cheeks bulged out.

"I didn't refuse to help anyone. I just said that you'd want to do it. And I'm right, aren't I?"

"I'm always ready to help Nami-san!" Sanji said firmly, a little irritated that Zoro wasn't getting more angered by the conversation. He wanted to get at him for continuing to call him Love Cook, but it wasn't working very well.

"Well, I'm always glad for the help, Sanji-kun," Nami said with a sweet smile as she leaned toward him. "It will be in a few hours, so if anyone else wants to help, they can." Her tone made it seem more compulsory than volunteer work.

"I think Luffy would eat all of the supplies," teased Usopp.

Luffy burst out laughing, nodding amiably. "I bet I would!"

Nami grimaced a little at the thought. "Right. Maybe not _everyone _should go down there. It would get crowded, after all."

Zoro finished up the food on his plate and leaned back. "So it would seem."

"Sanji!" Luffy said suddenly, grinning innocently when Sanji looked over at him. "Seconds?" He held his empty plate out hopefully.

Sanji made a wry noise at how quickly Luffy had devoured that, but he stood and took the plate anyway. "We should get more food while we're getting water, with the amount we go through around here."

"Yeah, well, there are a lot of big cities in Elbalia, so I'm sure that won't be too difficult," grunted Zoro.

"Good," Sanji said, distracted with dishing up the remainder of the meat for Luffy.

The rest of the meal passed relatively quietly, although Sanji had to yell at Luffy that there was no more food, and Zoro called Sanji a Love Cook twice more. By the time they dispersed, the sun was well in the sky with little to no coverage from the clouds floating by. It was hot, but the wind was warm and fresh, and when Usopp went fishing later, he actually caught something.

Nami was pleased to find they had more in the storage room than she expected, including several canteens that they could fill in any freshwater ponds they may find. The night was uneventful, and the relative calm lasted until the next day when Usopp, who had decided to try the crow's nest, yelled that he spotted land.

After the small crew scurried around to bring their vessel to shore, it wasn't until Luffy had lowered the anchor into the ocean that Zoro finally took a moment to glance around their surroundings.

"What the hell is this?" he snapped suddenly. "This isn't a port city! It's a whole bunch of _nothing!_"

Sure enough, all anyone could see for miles ahead of them was flat, green grassland. Though graceful, snow-capped mountains added a bit of variety to the scene, it was apparent there was little to no civilization nearby.

Nami waved a dismissive hand as she pushed her bag higher on her shoulder and peered out at the land. "The nearest port city would have taken us out of our way by another few days. We just need to head inland a bit and Sien's within a few hours walk. It's a large enough city to support our needs."

Luffy ran past her and jumped down onto the grass without thinking, or bothering, to wait for Zoro. "Hey," he called cheerfully from the ground, enjoying the shade his straw hat gave his eyes, "the grass tickles! Come try!"

Usopp immediately ran down after Luffy, kicking off his shoes. Allowing his darker toes to sink into the carpet of shrubbery, he grinned. "Wow, I haven't seen this much grass in a long time!"

"It's just grass," grumbled Zoro. He paused, looking toward the mountainous horizon with a small frown on his face.

"But the grass is really cool!" Luffy protested cheerfully, grinning happily.

Sanji appeared calmly at Nami's side, looking down at the two frolicking in the grass. "What a couple of geeks," he said offhandedly, but there was no bite in his tone.

"If we're gonna leave," said Zoro firmly, "someone needs to stay with the ship."

Nami turned to Sanji with a sweet smile. "Sanji-kun?"

Sanji grinned immediately. "I'll protect the ship with my life, Nami-san!"

"I knew I could count on you," she cooed as she casually hopped down to the grasslands below. Turning around, she craned her neck to look up. "Even though the city's only an hour away, don't worry if we're not back immediately! There may be a lot of shopping to do. They supposedly have a really good marketplace there."

Sanji nodded as he lit a cigarette and leaned against the railing. "Don't worry, I'll be here when you return."

"Wait, wait, why does _he_ stay with the ship?" Zoro said suddenly. "I think it'd be better if Luffy and I stayed."

Nami looked surprised at the idea. "You don't want to go exploring?"

Luffy looked at Zoro with huge eyes. "But I wanted to see the mountains..."

Zoro met Luffy's gaze with a small frown. "You can see them from here, can't you?"

"Yeah, but I wanna see them closer," Luffy said with a small frown of his own, though his was due to confusion. "Why would we stay?"

"You really think it's a good idea for you to wander around?" Zoro asked pointedly.

"If you're with me, I don't see how it's any different than me sitting on the ship where anyone from miles around knows exactly where I am," Luffy said mildly.

Zoro opened his mouth to speak before promptly closing it. After thinking for a moment, he seemed to concede. "...I guess that's true..."

Luffy cocked his head slightly at Zoro. "Are you allergic to grass? Come down here a second."

The swordsman was quiet for a moment before he made his way off of the ship and stepped into the sea of grass. "What?"

Luffy frowned at him, then walked over and pulled him gently by the arm away from the others a bit. Nami watched them go with interest, but didn't bother to step closer to overhear.

"What's wrong?" Luffy asked quietly, watching Zoro closely. "Is there something we should know?"

"Something wrong?" Zoro echoed. "Not really. I just don't think it's a good idea to go walking around in an unfamiliar place when there are all these people wanting to kill you." His dark gaze flickered toward the distant mountains. "I've traveled here before, so I should know how difficult it can be."

Luffy eyed him a little suspiciously but shrugged. "We can just be extra careful, then, right?" He smiled and clapped Zoro cheerfully on the shoulder. "It'll be fine! I have you here and no one's gotten me yet. I just wanted to look around while we have the chance. Don't you think it looks interesting here?"

"I guess," he muttered. "It's not really that big a deal for me, but I forget that you've been kept in that palace of yours for most of your life."

Luffy grinned amiably. "You just don't know what's fun, anyway," he said lightly, teasingly. "I had to practically twist your arm for the ice cream, didn't I? And you liked it in the end! So just look at it like you've never been here before and I'll bet you have lots more fun."

Zoro shrugged in a half-hearted agreement. "Whatever. It's not that far of a walk, so I guess we might as well if you're curious to see the area."

Luffy seemed very pleased with the decision. Pivoting, he turned to Usopp and Nami with one hand holding his hat down. "Alright, we're ready!" he called cheerfully. "Which way do we go, Nami? This way?" He pointed in a direction that obviously led quickly to the ocean.

"I said it was a few hours away, didn't I?" she said in exasperation. "Just let me lead and don't lose sight of me. I don't feel like looking around for hours because you wandered off."

Luffy's excitement was completely undiminished despite Zoro and Nami's moods. "Okay!"

"That city sounds like it could be really cool," Usopp mused aloud. "I kind of want to go see it, but..." He gave Sanji a concerned look.

Sanji laughed abruptly, the sound almost boyish in its suddenness. "I'll be alright, Usopp." He paused, a thought occurring to him as he dug through his pockets. Producing a little white sheet of paper, he crumpled it up and tossed it down to Usopp. "Actually, take this with you. Get any of this in the marketplace if you find it, will you? It's the grocery list I made yesterday."

Catching it with ease, the curly-haired man nodded toward his friend. "Sure thing!"

"Thanks," Sanji said with a grin, holding his cigarette to the side. "I wouldn't trust any of those idiots to know an apple from an orange." He glanced toward Nami. "Except you, of course, Nami-san! You're not an idiot!"

Nami smiled but otherwise seemed to ignore him. "Are we ready yet? I don't want to waste the whole day standing around."

"I'm ready!" Luffy enthused immediately, raising a fist toward the air. "Let's go!"

Rolling her eyes, Nami nevertheless turned and strode off, pulling a small compass out of her pocket to consult now and then. A map was in her other pocket, but she didn't expect to need it. She knew where she was going. She had looked their route over so many times that morning that it was burned into her brain.

And if they were _really _lucky, they would even run into the rich nomadic tribe that wandered the area. Not much was known of them, but rumors of their wealth and intricate metalwork had spread. Even just one of their worst necklaces or weapons could grant her a fortune in markets like at Baratie. Her eyes shone at the idea, and she found herself unconsciously quickening the pace.

"Why are _you_ in such of a hurry?" Zoro grunted as he managed to catch up with Nami.

Nami looked over, startled out of her thoughts. "You're so paranoid today. I've heard of the clothing stores, if you must know. There's one that has the cutest little skirts that I've only seen replicas of!"

"Why would you make a replica of a skirt?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Why wouldn't you? If a design is nice but you don't have the actual material or talent, then you make a knock-off and sell it for a similar price." She shrugged. "It's the same with a lot of things. A good way to make money far from the source."

Zoro shrugged before glancing over his shoulder to make sure that Luffy and Usopp were following.

Luffy's eyes were wide as he looked all around him, the grin unwilling to leave as he ambled alongside Usopp. His gaze kept wandering back to the mountains, only to be distracted by something else. Considering the immediate area looked like the same grass he was walking through, it was amazing that he could find so much to be interested in.

"Stay close to us," Zoro warned. "There are tribes that wander this area sometime, and the last thing we need is for one of you to be shot or something."

"Sh-sh-shot?" stammered Usopp. "You've got to be kidding me..."

"Wow," Luffy piped up, impressed. "They have _guns?" _

"No. They have archers," Zoro explained gravely.

"Oh," Luffy said, looking thoughtful but not nearly as afraid as he should be.

Nami looked at them sidelong but said nothing at first. Pulling the map out, she consulted it briefly. "Well, how large is their area? We can't be in their territory for _too _long, I imagine." She didn't say aloud that she was hoping Zoro would know the boundaries better, having been here before. She needed to know how much time she had to try to meet them, or at least look for discarded jewelry or weapons.

"That's the thing...their territories probably change from season to season," Zoro muttered. "So, it's difficult to say where we are in relation to the other tribes."

"How do you know all this stuff?" Usopp asked suspiciously.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just find the trail to that stupid city and stick with it," muttered Zoro.

"Well, we're _on _the trail," Nami said testily, pointing roughly at the map and holding it up to him. "It says so right here. It's just that it won't be obvious at first. But once we're in the rocks, we'll know for sure."

"The rocks?" Zoro echoed blankly.

"There's a rocky outcropping up ahead somewhere," Nami said as she glanced at the map again, waving a hand in the general direction ahead of them. "And once we get there, we'll know we're exactly where we need to be. We go through them, and then on the other side, there's supposedly a worn dirt path."

"Sounds easy enough!" Usopp grinned. "Nothing like that time I hiked a thousand miles in a day."

"A thousand miles?" Luffy said loudly, turning to stare at Usopp with huge, shining eyes. "That's amazing! Didn't your legs hurt a lot?"

Usopp nodded sagely. "They almost fell off!"

Luffy laughed. "You should have had one of your men carry you. Then it would hurt less."

"Oh, but it was a quest I had to endure alone!" Usopp dramatically proclaimed.

"Really? Why?" Luffy stared at him, completely into the story.

"Because there was a special maiden of the village that needed saving," he replied. "Her honor had been tarnished because she had kissed me, an outsider to them, on the cheek. And so, the Great Captain Usopp had to go on a long, perilous journey to win the village's affection and restore her good name!"

"Wow! Did it work?"

"Of course it worked!" he stated pompously. "It was a hard, tedious task, but I ultimately prevailed by mere endurance."

Luffy made an impressed noise as he stared at Usopp. "That's amazing! You're amazing, Usopp!"

Buffing his fingernails against his shirt, Usopp grinned. "Of course I'm great!"

Nami rolled her eyes to herself but said nothing.

Luffy looked around the grasslands excitedly, as if expecting the maiden to pop up and recount the tale again from her viewpoint. The wind blew across the plains, furrowing the grass gently around them in a wave. It reminded him suddenly of running his fingers through Zoro's hair the other night and he looked at his bodyguard abruptly, sidelong, tilting his head down so the shade from the brim of his hat hid his sudden light blush. The reaction took him by surprise, and he pretended to watch the upper-thigh-high grass parting around his legs to distract himself.

As if sensing Luffy's mood, Zoro momentarily glanced back at him, but said nothing.

The time drifted along pleasantly as the group continued their trek. Between Usopp's tales and Luffy's enthusiasms, the trip was enjoyable enough despite the sun that beat down upon them. Still, it was a relief to see the rocky area coming toward them from the distance.

"About time," muttered Zoro.

Nami glanced at him, as if she wondered if he was saying it was her fault it took so long. "Alright. I obviously can't tell how long we'll be walking through there from the map, but from what I've heard, it's not very long."

Luffy had lagged to the back sometime in their travels, having been continually distracted by the grass, mountains, and Usopp. At the sight of the rocks, though, he jogged forward, falling into step just a little ahead and to the right of Zoro, so he wouldn't worry him. "Wow! Look how tall they are!" He peered all around, excited. "It looks so dark in there! I wonder if there are monsters." His laughter was far too jovial for the thought.

"Ehh! Monsters! Don't _say_ that, Luffy!" cried Usopp.

"I doubt there are monsters," snorted Zoro.

"But there might me," Luffy laughed happily. "There might be huge clawing rock monsters, who've been lying in wait just for us to pass!"

"Well, if there are, they won't be a problem," said Zoro simply.

"Why?" Luffy asked curiously, looking at his bodyguard.

"'Cause I'll take care of 'em with my sword." At this, he grinned and placed a hand over the weapons that hung from his side.

Luffy's gaze unconsciously followed Zoro's hand movement, to settle on the swords near his hip. He blinked when he found himself looking just a second too long, and turned to jog ahead another three steps to give himself a moment to think. His straw hat shaded his expression briefly before he turned around and walked backwards, grinning, as if nothing had happened. In truth, it had only been a few seconds, but it was just enough of a delay to be noticeable to anyone paying close attention. Nami, at least, seemed distracted by the map, which made Luffy feel a little better.

"We're lucky, then!" he said with a laugh, hands holding his hat down idly. "We have a monster-slayer to protect us."

"I'll bet you could give any monster a good wallop on your own, though," Zoro replied easily. "What with those crazy rubber powers and everything."

Luffy laughed again, delightedly this time. "You bet I could! It wouldn't know what hit it."

"Remind me not to make you mad," Usopp replied feebly. For him, it was just starting to sink in that he'd join a ship filled with mostly freaks.

Luffy looked surprised at the comment, turning to blink at Usopp seriously. "What? I would never hurt a friend."

"Yeah? But you might bust something else up," Usopp pointed out.

"Hmm." Luffy considered that, continuing to walk backwards. After a moment, he snickered and grinned. "Yeah, that's tru—"

He cut himself off, eyes widening, as the ground suddenly gave way beneath his foot. With a startled noise, he reached out to catch himself as he fell backwards only to have what he thought was the ground around him snag and fall with. He stared in pure surprise at the cloth disguised in grass and dirt, and briefly lost his breath when he fell to the bottom of a deep hole.

Usopp barely had time to shriek before Zoro suddenly withdrew his sword and positioned himself beside the hole. "Stay still and don't panic," he muttered quickly. But at that moment, several people seemed to move out from behind the rocks, aiming bows and spears in the unfortunate group's direction.

Nami froze, keeping her hands in clear view as she held the map, crumpled, in one hand. Her eyes were wide and she was sweating, but she listened to Zoro's warning.

Luffy stood up, rubbing his head with a frown. He hadn't heard Zoro's mutter, and certainly couldn't see any dangerous people from the bottom, so when he called up to the others, he was his typical blithe self. "Hey, they have mystery holes here too! This place is so weird."

He craned his neck to look up and his hat fell to rest against his back, caught by the string. "Don't worry, though! I'm fine! Just gotta figure out how to get out..."

The apparent leader of the group, a tall, muscular man dressed in a dark-colored tunic, stepped out from the line of archers. "State your business."

"We're getting supplies," grunted Zoro. "Leave us."

"You carry weapons," the leader noted, his dark green eyes narrowing at the sword Zoro had withdrawn.

The swordsman met his gaze. "I defend myself."

"I don't have any weapons!" Nami said nervously, eyeing the gleaming points aimed at them. She held her hands up a little higher to make it clear she was unarmed. "We don't mean any harm!"

Luffy stared up at the edge, knowing he could reach it, but he wasn't very adept yet at lengthening his limbs without a lot of throwback first. Jerking a fist behind him, he tried to use the momentum to snap his hand forward but it just rebounded off the wall and almost smacked him in the face. Frowning, he widened his stance and worked on improving his skills. Since Zoro hadn't called out to him or appeared immediately, something distracting was probably happening up there anyway.

Suddenly unsheathing a sword of his own, the leader glared at him. "Defend yourself, then."

Before anything could happen (other than Usopp and Nami giving little cringing squeals), one of the archers suddenly cleared his throat loudly. He let the tension out on his bow and aimed the arrow toward the ground, eyeing Zoro strangely. "Um, sir?" he ventured, sidling closer to his leader. "Could I, uh, have a word?"

"What is it?" the leader hissed. "Can't you see we're about to fight?"

He leaned forward and whispered, watching Zoro still, "Um. That man has light green hair and three swords. I think it may be Roronoa Zoro, sir."

"Roronoa Zoro?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "I thought he was dead."

"Could be, sir. But he fits the description, and not many do."

Turning, the group leader stared at the swordsman. "Are you Roronoa Zoro?"

Zoro nodded. "I am."

A faint murmur washed over the crowd.

"Looks like they know you, Zoro," Usopp muttered in awe.

Nami stared at Zoro, trying to keep the delight of money on the horizon out of her eyes.

The archer started to lower his bow even more, staring at the leader with urgency in his eyes. The other archers began to follow his lead, glancing at each other in surprise.

The tension was just starting to drain from the group.

A hand appeared at the top of the hole, and Luffy suddenly came hurtling out of the ground, dropping next to Zoro with a huge grin. "I'm free!" he crowed happily, making enough of a ruckus that the lowered bows were suddenly tightened, arrows aimed nervously at him as a new threat. "Oh," he said blankly, surprised. "We're under arrest?"

"Far from it," Zoro muttered. Then, he made eye contact with the group's leader. "Looks like you guys are with the Lanshi?"

The man frowned, a little startled before he realized that the question just further confirmed that the person before them was truly Zoro. Who else would know their clan name with so little information? Holding a hand to the side, he signaled for the archers to lower their weapons, and he sheathed his sword.

"We are," he said, inclining his head and glancing at Luffy, Nami and Usopp before looking guardedly back at Zoro. "You have been gone for awhile." The comment was too pointed to be neutral, but he did not necessarily sound disapproving.

"I was separated from my tribe," Zoro explained simply. "Not quite sure how it happened, but I wound up near Merriana."

Luffy looked between Zoro and the strangers, silent but alert now that he realized these people had something to do with Zoro's past.

Usopp blinked, giving Zoro a startled stare. "Are you serious? But Merriana is...really far from here."

Nami stared at Zoro incredulously, caught between triumph that he was somehow connected to the locals and could lead them that much closer to their riches and astounded that someone could actually _accidentally _wander an ocean and several hundred miles across an entirely different continent from home.

"What would you have done if I didn't arrive?" she asked him, amazed. "You'd be halfway across the _world _by now!"

Zoro waved Nami off. "That's unimportant now," he grunted gruffly, perhaps a bit embarrassed.

Nami stared at him pointedly, a little amused, a little irritated. "You idiot," she said, but there was no real venom in her voice.

The leader of the Lanshi group eyed them all with a hard stare, but stepped back after a moment and turned away. "Come with me," he said, as the other Lanshi put their weapons away finally and began to trail after him. Judging by the angle, their route would bypass the rocks and head in a direction slightly eastward of Sien.

Luffy looked curiously at Zoro, waiting for him to move before he would follow. He still wasn't quite sure if the newcomers were enemies or just long-lost friends.

"Where are we going?" Zoro quietly asked, his dark eyes watching the leader almost suspiciously.

The man paused and looked over his shoulder, eyebrows raised a little skeptically. "You disappear for years, reappear in our territory, and we are supposed to just ignore it? You should know that the Kurska are our close allies, so we will give you proper hospitality until they return. They have, after all, been wondering where you went and would love to see you again." His tone was casual but there was some undercurrent that Luffy could not place, something else that was being said that only Zoro and the natives could possibly understand.

"The Kurska," Zoro faintly repeated, as if he tasted the word for the first time in years. "Do you know where they are?"

The man nodded, shifting slightly so he was facing Zoro more than looking over his shoulder. "Of course. They are a day's walk from here, due back soon." He paused, then smiled slightly. "I understand they found quite a few wild pigs roaming around and will have enough for a feast when they return."

"Heh." Zoro lightly grinned. "Okay." He glanced over at the others in his group. "Looks like we're going for a bit of a detour."

Luffy grinned back, wide and enthusiastic. "Alright, an adventure!" he said loudly, bounding toward the Lanshi without waiting for the others. "Hey, mister, did you say we get a _feast?" _

The man blinked and smiled in amusement. Turning, he started walking again without glancing back to see if they were following.

The group quietly followed, with Zoro trailing between the Lanshi warriors and his own comrades. It was pleasantly dry outside, the grass parting as they located a slightly worn trail within minutes.

"Your people don't generally wander around like hunters," Zoro said quietly to the leader. "Has something happened to change this?"

The man looked at him sidelong and nodded once, gravely. "I don't know the situation in Marana, or wherever you've been, but we've had more troubles with bandits in the past few months than I remember in the rest of my life. They almost destroyed Sien's marketplace last time. Without that money to support our crafts, we will not survive, and neither will your brethren. When the Kurska are gone, we have taken to defending the territory in their stead."

"Bandits are causing problems here, too, huh?" Zoro's eyebrows furrowed, and he thought of the situation at Baratie. "Are they really that desperate to draw attention to themselves?" Pausing, he regarded the Lanshi leader with an even stare.

"Hmm?" the man asked mildly, his expression unreadable. "Draw attention to who? The bandits? Surely these are all the separate attacks of crazed men, who care about stealing the riches of others and nothing more. But bandits on the other land too? How strange that they are so widespread..."

Zoro spoke with a calm voice. "Have the Kurska sustained any significant casualties?"

Another shake of his head, and the man smirked proudly. "The Kurska, the Lanshi, we are too strong for them. We know the land, the people, the weather. We have massacred the bandits when we've been around." He shrugged lightly. "Other than some bruises and minor injuries from stupid young ones, we have all been fine."

Zoro nodded, looking satisfied. Then, something seemed to occur to him. "You know my name, but apparently I don't know yours."

"Kamakiri," he said calmly. He turned ahead again, his sunglasses shielding the expression in his eyes. "Roronoa Zoro is a fairly infamous name in the area. Why have you suddenly returned after so many years, and with..." he paused, tilting his head in the general direction of Zoro's companions, "outsiders, at that?"

"Wait, wait," Usopp suddenly interrupted. "Zoro, do you know these people or something?"

The green-haired man blinked, regarding Usopp with a calm gaze. "Yeah. I'm actually a member of the nomadic Kurska tribe. These people here are with the Lanshi, who are our allies."

Nami's eyes widened and she had to fight to keep the grin away. The Kurska! The fables of their riches... She walked calmly, but there was a bit more bounce to her step than before. She knew it. She just _knew _those two smelled of money the moment she first laid eyes on them. Between the two of them, she could probably retire after spending just a few months in their presence.

Luffy divided his attention between the Lanshi and Zoro, watching the landscape as they passed.

"These 'outsiders' are actually comrades of mine," Zoro explained to Kamakiri. "It's kind of a long story..."

Kamakiri nodded. "We'll have to hear it later, when they return. You will stay until then, I hope." Although his tone was relatively light, something about his body language said that they would not easily let Zoro leave.

Zoro paused for a moment before speaking. "Sure. I'll stay, if the Kurska will return shortly."

Kamakiri nodded again. "Wiper sent a runner ahead just this morning saying they expected to be back by tomorrow night at latest. Until then, Laki has space in her house. You're welcome to stay there."

The swordsman only silently nodded as they continued on their way. Within a relatively short walk, they arrived at a small, cozy village that was surrounded by a wooden fence. Distant fields surrounded its borders, speckled with grazing livestock and the occasional farmer. Some chickens scratched around at the village's entrance, scurrying away from the newcomers. A plume of smoke drifted up into the air from a cottage's chimney, giving the air a flavorful smell.

Kamakiri raised his hand idly as several of the villagers stopped what they were doing and looked at the newcomers. Children came running over, milling about the legs of the Lanshi archers. A few stared at Zoro and the others with wide eyes, and one even tried to hide behind Kamakiri.

A tall woman with long black hair pulled into a high ponytail stuck her head out of a nearby house at the commotion and smiled when she saw them. "Kamakiri, you're back," she said as a little girl who looked about ten wandered out from behind her. As one, the two noticed the others at the same time, but while the little girl looked wary, the woman's smile became a little tense. "Who are they?"

Waiting until he was closer to her and wasn't yelling across the village, he said in a low voice, "Roronoa Zoro, with some people he met outside. I told them you had room until Wiper returns."

She looked over her shoulder at Zoro, her eyes a dark shade that seemed vaguely blue or green, and though her expression closed off, she nodded anyway. "Of course. They can take the upstairs; Aisa moved down next to me awhile ago."

Kamakiri nodded, then stepped to the side and gestured to the house. "This is Laki. She sometimes acts as the... innkeeper of our village. She can show you to your rooms."

Laki smiled still, a tight, tense smile but one that did not seem cold, and moved away from the door, dragging the girl with her so the newcomers had plenty of room. "Please come in."

Zoro stepped inside, noting how much cooler it was than out under the sun. "Thanks. You really don't need to trouble yourself..."

"Not at all," Laki said, and when she looked at Zoro, her smile was a little less tense. "You are practically our kin, aren't you?" She glanced past him, to the others in the doorway, and was about to welcome them in again when Luffy walked calmly inside.

"Wow, it's really nice in here!" he said, tilting his hat back a little to get a better view of the house.

It did not have a lot of furniture, but there was plenty of artwork on the wall; from drawings that looked like a little girl had created to beautiful works of art made from beads, leather, and feathers. A stairway led to the second level across the room in front of them, but Luffy got distracted by what he suspected was a kitchen peeking out of a partially open doorway.

"Hey, do we get food later?" he asked intently, looking at Laki even though the question seemed somehow directed at Zoro.

"You'll have to ask her," Zoro replied, motioning toward Laki. "It's her home."

Usopp glanced around, shifting nervously as his gaze roamed across the ornate decorations that hung from the wall. "Are you sure we're not intruding on anything? I mean, we really should get to that city for supplies, shouldn't we?"

"Supplies?" Laki asked, turning her attention to Usopp and leaning against the wall. "It's possible we could provide you with what you need. There's plenty of time for Sien later. You should rest for now."

Nami nodded gratefully. "Thank you very much for your hospitality. We really appreciate it." She glanced outside of the window, wondering if she should explore the village and see what kind of information about this Kurska tribe she could glean from the residents. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Zoro stepped past her, his hands burying into his pockets.

"I'm going out to train," he muttered, looking toward Laki with an unreadable expression.

Laki watched him seriously for a moment, her expression as unreadable as Zoro's. After a moment, she inclined her head slightly. "There are training grounds down the road to the left. You are welcome to use them." She turned back to Nami, and seemed to dismiss Zoro entirely from her attention. "It is the way of our people, to welcome the friends of the friends." There was only the slightest pause before referring to Zoro as a friend, but her light tone did not change. "I can show you to your rooms now."

"That would be nice, thank you," Nami replied with a small smile, though she seemed a little disconcerted by the slightly stilted exchange between Zoro and Laki, the carefully masked expressions they shared when speaking with another. It was if they were putting up some sort of barrier between themselves that they didn't dare take down, a barrier that outsiders could only try to understand. If Zoro was friends with these people, why did they seem so... uncomfortable around one another?

At this, Usopp glanced over at Nami with mild confusion, and the navigator knew that he was thinking along similar lines.

Laki smiled, and though there was nothing cold or cruel in it, a certain sense of sincerity seemed to be missing. She gently pushed the girl hovering around her legs ahead of her, saying softly, "Aisa, go prepare the second guest room. I'll show them the first." Aisa glanced at Usopp and Nami with partial distrust, but ran ahead anyway.

Stepping away from the wall she leaned against, Laki headed toward the stairs. "If you'll follow me, then."

"I want to train with Zoro," Luffy said suddenly, before she had gotten more than three steps up.

She paused, looked over her shoulder at his determined expression that clashed with his casual tone, and she nodded without saying anything. She continued without looking back again to make sure that Nami and Usopp followed.

Nami sharply glanced over at Luffy as she walked toward Laki. "Don't do anything stupid while you're out. We just got here and don't know much about the area," she pointedly reminded him.

"It'll be fine," Luffy said with a smile. "I'll be with Zoro, right? How much trouble could I get in?"

"He got lost and wandered off of the entire continent," Usopp stated flatly. "Nami's right. Just don't go too far."

"We won't, so lay off," Zoro snapped suddenly, his tone sharp with irritation. "I think I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

The navigator slightly rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go," she said, motioning Usopp to follow her as Laki showed them up the stairs.

As the three disappeared at a hallway past the landing, Luffy turned to Zoro with a smile that seemed less blithe than usual. "Alright! Ready to train? She said we go right, right?"

Zoro nodded vaguely, his gaze settling heavily upon a fragile vase that sat upon a table. "Yeah...I think so."

Luffy's smile remained, and he reached over to pull Zoro toward the door by his upper arm. At the doorway, though, he took a left and started wandering down the main road with Lanshi giving them odd or guarded glances on all sides. He dropped his grip as soon as he was certain Zoro was following, and looked around idly.

"They don't like outsiders, huh?" Luffy said casually, as if discussing the shape of clouds in the sky.

"No," Zoro simply answered, his feet sending dust from the trail up against his boots.

Luffy nodded, falling silent for a few minutes as he just watched the houses pass around them. The village seemed peaceful enough, and really interesting. He would have liked to run around exploring everything, but he felt it was better to stay by Zoro for the time being. That way, Zoro wouldn't have to worry if anything strange happened during their stay; at least he knew he was able to be a bodyguard during this time. But more importantly, there was something strange happening between the Lanshi and Zoro, and in this instance, Luffy felt more like Zoro's bodyguard than the other way around.

"I've been thinking of some new moves," Luffy said idly, kicking up some dust and watching it settle over his sandals, coating his toes.

"Yeah?" Zoro looked over to his companion; he sounded interested, but his face seemed just as blank as when he'd been talking with Laki. "With your rubber body, right?"

"I should hope so," Luffy laughed, "I don't think I have any other bodies lying around." He looked over, eyes sparking in amusement, grin wide, and it was unclear whether he had purposefully misunderstood the question.

Upon hearing this, a smile suddenly lit up Zoro's face and he snorted. "Oh, okay, I was just making sure."

Luffy couldn't help chuckling to himself, looking forward again. "Maybe I'll show you them." He leaned against Zoro playfully for a breath, just the briefest press of his arm against Zoro's, but with as casual as it had been, he could have simply lost his balance for a moment and was just walking too close to recover in time.

"I wouldn't mind," Zoro quietly replied with a subdued grin, his arm briefly nudging back.

Luffy glanced over with a wide smile. Around them, the Lanshi had mostly stopped paying them heed. When it became apparent that they were heading toward the heart of the village instead of the edges, they didn't feel the need to watch them anymore. Luffy watched a woman usher her children inside with an unreadable glance in their direction, and his smile faded in thought.

He looked at Zoro again, watching him as they walked, trying to understand exactly what was going on. He thought he remembered Zoro saying he was abandoned as a child, so even if he was from that other tribe, even though everyone called him friend, did that mean they still considered him an outsider? That they weren't happy to see him back? Luffy had been so certain that Zoro's family would have loved him, regardless of abandoning him or not, that he couldn't help feeling confused by the reception now that Zoro had returned.

"I didn't think we'd run into anyone," Zoro quietly stated, as if sensing Luffy's confusion. "We might be delayed for a few days. I should have anticipated something like this and suggested a different route."

"Delays are part of the adventure," Luffy said dismissively with a shrug. "You're not happy about being here, though." He spoke casually, an observation without a judgment.

Zoro paused for a moment, as if thinking over the other boy's words. "No, I guess I'm not. It's... kind of complicated."

Luffy nodded, taking that on face value and not pressing for more information than Zoro was willing to present. "Are you in danger? Everything seems a little weird."

Shaking his head, the swordsman paused and glanced at a few passing villagers. "No, I'm not in danger. They're probably just a little mad that I disappeared for a couple of years." Though with the way he spoke, it was apparent that there was probably more to the situation than that.

Luffy hmmed to himself, considering that. "I wonder if I'd be mad if you disappeared, too." He sounded honestly curious, his expression thoughtful. "But then I'd be happy to see you again, so..." He shrugged.

"They're not like you are, though," Zoro replied. He opened his mouth again as if he were about to speak, but fell silent for a moment before finally adding, "Like I said... it's complicated."

Nodding again, Luffy smiled at him. "Well, as long as you're not in danger, I guess it doesn't matter, does it?"

The swordsman's dark eyes found the horizon, his mouth suddenly pressed into a thin line. "Ultimately, I guess not, but..."

"Then you should stop worrying," Luffy said cheerfully. "We were going to be around for awhile anyway for the city, right? This way, you have time to be with old friends, and they have time to stop being stupid."

Zoro didn't say anything, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked over at Luffy. He only wished it were that simple.

"I don't see the training grounds anywhere," he said suddenly. "Did we go the right direction?"

"I dunno," Luffy said, looking around unconcernedly. "How far were we supposed to walk anyway?"

"It's probably on the other side of the village here," Zoro muttered, gesturing ahead of them.

"But, you know, there's a lot of shade over there," Luffy said, pointing to their left, where a hill rose, "and training grounds would be in a colder place, right? So that's up _and _North, I bet." Laki, of course, had said nothing about either direction, but that was unimportant.

Zoro shrugged. He couldn't argue with that. "I guess we could go over there, then."

Luffy veered in that direction, perking up at the thought of training.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Despite how distracted Zoro seemed earlier, the training session between the two was enough for him to momentarily sweat out his problems. It was nice to just spar in the secure company of Luffy, something that Zoro realized he hadn't had a chance to do since he'd agreed to escort the prince out of Merriana. For a member of a royal family, the boy actually surprised him quite a bit. As it turned out, Ace had taught him quite a few combat moves that, coupled with his body's stretching ability, proved to be a deadly combination.

And in those few hours of respite, Zoro actually felt like Luffy was less of a charge and more of an equal friend and partner. He'd forgotten how nice it was to not have that kind of weight on his shoulders, having to constantly look after someone else's life and be on guard with everyone. Instead of completely basking in this change of pace, however, there were other things that loomed in the back of Zoro's mind, things that had been buried during his two year trek.

But he knew they wouldn't stay buried for long... and it was only a matter of time before it all came back to get him.

As all good things often did, their training session came to an end seemingly too quickly when Nami sought them out and told them to come inside for dinner. Despite how eager the prince was to eat, Zoro himself lagged behind the two a little bit as they approached Laki's house.

They met Usopp, who had been lingering by the door, on the front porch. Within moments, they'd all shuffled inside and were ushered to their seats at the dinner table.

Laki must have prepared the food well ahead of time, for it was already steaming in the center of the table. The presentation was not nearly as magnificent as Sanji's when he made food for beautiful women, but what was lacking in aesthetics smelled as though it would far be made up in taste.

Luffy was watching the food with eyes so wide he looked ridiculous, but he forced himself to keep from devouring everything in sight until someone else started. There were very few things he had ever learned properly as a prince, but manners were one of them, even if he chose to ignore them or forget the details most of the time. He kept stealing glances at the others, waiting for the slightest signal that he could eat everything in front of him.

Laki remained standing for a few moments even after everyone had sat down, her dark eyes intent on the doorway to the kitchen. It was unclear what she was waiting for until she suddenly nodded decisively, murmuring, "Good."

Precisely at that moment, Sanji wandered in, looking around the kitchen curiously and automatically categorizing the skill of the chef when he glanced over their dinner.

Nami looked genuinely startled, her eyes leaving the food and sharply looking at the blond man. "Sanji-kun, what are _you_ doing here?"

Scowling, Zoro almost rose from his seat. "You're supposed to be watching the ship," he murmured darkly, and there was something edgy in his tone that indicated that he wasn't one to be messed with right then.

"Ahh, I grew bored so I thought I'd take a walk. And what do I find? All of you, betraying me with a lovely woman and her adulterous dinner," Sanji drawled, his visible eye widened innocently even though he looked clearly smug when he saw Zoro's expression.

Growling, Zoro's jaw clenched, and he actually did rise in his chair this time. Speaking over the odd squeak Usopp made, the swordsman furiously furrowed his eyebrows. "Dammit, you idiot! This isn't the time to be screwing around and leaving the ship vulnerable to potential thieves. Do you have _any idea_ of what would happen if someone stole it?"

"I imagine we'd have quite a swim ahead of us," Sanji said with an evil little grin. "But I'm looking forward to Nami-san's bathing suit – I hope it's a bikini!"

Those who were witnessing the conversation would later decide that this comment was what finally made the swordsman snap; indeed, as soon as the cook had uttered those words, Zoro all but lunged across the table in an attempt to punch Sanji in the face.

Sanji just barely evaded, not even bothering to remove his hands from his pockets, but he did not look angry – in fact, he laughed at Zoro and lifted a leg to fend him off. "Kinda touchy, aren't you, Marimo? Maybe you want to wear the bikini instead...?" He was probably enjoying himself too much, but he couldn't help it. Pissing Zoro off was his favorite pastime apart from ogling women and making excellent food.

Laki watched the two with narrowed eyes but did nothing to stop them, even though it was clear that soon she would likely have broken furniture or dishes to deal with.

"Damn you, asshole!" Zoro snapped, reaching out to punch him again. This time, Usopp and Nami had both leaped forward, grabbing onto the swordsman's arms.

Scowling, the navigator, held onto him tightly. "Zoro! What's _wrong_ with you? I'm sure Sanji-kun has a perfectly reasonable explanation for being here." Pausing, she looked up at the chef long enough to give him a meaningful glare. "Right?"

Sanji smiled at her immediately, nodding. "Of course, Nami-san!"

But before he could explain, Laki spoke calmly from her side of the table. "I invited him here. It seemed cruel to leave a clansman behind like that, when you each were ready for a languid dinner and rest. Would you have preferred we ignore him?" Her question was directed at Zoro, her tone cool and eyes just the right sort of casual for it to be clear she was testing him.

Suddenly growing still, Zoro sharply looked over at Laki in silence. It was strange, the way his face grew hot, like his cheeks were on fire. Trying to swallow it down, he narrowed his eyes, his voice several notches lower. "So, who is watching our ship?"

"Some of _my _clansmen," Laki said mildly, the emphasis on 'my' pointed but casual.

Zoro's eyes narrowed and he took a seat in resignation, shaking Nami and Usopp off as he did so. "I thought so," he murmured darkly, and, for some reason, this piece of news seemed to unsettle him much deeper than Sanji's appearance had.

Sanji blinked at Zoro, a little taken aback by how quickly he reined himself in. Even Luffy didn't seem to have that much control over him... what sort of place had they stumbled into? "Honestly," he said aloud, sounding exasperated and curious, "you really thought I'd just leave the ship alone like that? Have a little faith..."

"I don't exactly have much reason to trust you," Zoro explained, giving the man a pointed stare. "You, of all people, would understand, I'm sure." He said the last sentence with irritation, as if he were alluding to their encounter back in Baratie. Still, there was something in his gaze that hinted that there was more that he wasn't telling.

Sanji watched him a moment, then shrugged easily and slid into a seat. "Fair enough," he said, relenting perhaps in apology to goading him earlier. Or maybe he was just hungry, because immediately he turned to Laki and beamed. "Such a beautiful woman, so quick to defend my honor, _and _she cooks?"

It took a moment, but she smiled just barely, not as though she was falling to his flattery but that she was acknowledging it. "I have my talents," was all she said.

Luffy was not paying attention to the conversation, and though he had been as surprised as anyone else to see Sanji, he found Zoro's attitude even more worrying. He didn't say anything aloud, because it would just force Zoro into more irritation or an awkwardly phrased comment to try to appease Luffy without saying too much in front of Laki. Instead, Luffy just stretched his legs in front of him and let his calf gently bump Zoro's, as if to silently offer some sympathy.

The swordsman slightly glanced at Luffy, and he gave a small nod, as if telling him that he understood or appreciated the gesture. Then, without saying anything else, he reached out and began to dish a fair amount of food onto his plate, his expression difficult to read.

"It's... nice you could join us, Sanji," Usopp said feebly, and he glanced toward Laki cautiously before placing food on his own dish.

Laki did not seem to notice the glances her way, though she spent almost as much time watching her guests carefully as she did selecting her food and beginning to eat.

Luffy immediately filled his own plate so high it looked like a tower ready to topple, but he was grinning brightly and did not notice Laki's lingering glance. "Yeah," Luffy said around a mouthful of bread. "We forgot all about you." And he laughed, as if this were not a rude thing to say.

Sanji grinned at Usopp and Luffy, though he made a point to glance importantly at Nami as he said, "You should have seen it! I was planning to defend the ship to the deathwhen those people showed up. I was all ready to fight, and suddenly they start talking about Roronoa Zoro and his return or something, and next thing I know, they've got guards posted and they're escorting me over." He paused. "I didn't believe them at first, of course, but they convinced me."

"Really?" Usopp asked curiously as he bit into a chicken leg. The tender meat seemed to fall apart in his mouth, and he admitted that this was on par to what he often found at Baratie, taste-wise. "Zoro must be pretty popular around here, huh?"

Zoro shrugged. "I don't think 'popular' is really the word," he muttered.

"Perhaps the word you search for is 'infamous'," Laki commented idly as she scooped some strangely thin-looking soup into a bowl. She turned her dark eyes on Zoro, smiling with an emotion that was not unkind, but not particularly friendly, either. "I admit, I am very curious – here you are, sitting at my table, yet I know nothing of where you have been. These... friends of yours. You met them during your journey, those years?"

"Something like that, though it was actually fairly recent that I came across anyone here," Zoro replied simply. "I met Luffy first." He lightly pointed to the other man, showing Laki who he was referring to. "And the others we met soon after."

Laki glanced at Luffy, who grinned hugely despite the meat he was trying to gnaw off a bone. She looked away immediately, as if she did not wish to deal with the scene. "I see. But such a diverse group you seem to be," and she included everyone in the comment, even though she did not look away from Zoro. "I wonder how you met them."

Zoro was quiet a long moment as if debating how to phrase his next words. "Luffy... is actually a prince," he said slowly, as if he didn't want to be misunderstood. "His life is in danger, and I... volunteered to escort him to safety. Nami has been helping us navigate our way, and Sanji and Usopp recently joined us for their own reasons."

Luffy and Sanji looked over at Zoro at the same time in surprise, while Laki's eyes widened. She turned her thoughtful stare onto Luffy, who solemnly looked back at her after a moment. "Is that so," she murmured, though it was clear she was still speaking to Zoro.

"It is," the swordsman replied quietly. "I imagine it won't sit well with a lot of people, but there's no point in hiding the truth." Pausing, he regarded Laki with a firm stare. "I'm sure you understand that we won't be able to stay long."

Laki considered him for a moment, but when she finally nodded a little tension had left her shoulders and the atmosphere seemed a hint more relaxed. "I understand your dilemma, certainly. You will, of course, wait for the Kurska before you depart?" It was a question, but it was not, and though she smiled she did not look particularly benevolent.

"I don't see why that's necessary," Zoro said as casually as he could muster, but it was obvious to those sitting close to him that his facial expression was a little strained.

One fine, dark eyebrow raised as Laki said mildly, "You truly wish to leave twice with no warning? The Kurska are aware you are here, and would be most upset to find you gone." She paused very slightly. "Imagine their displeasure with me to know I'd foolishly let you leave without at least saying hello."

Zoro actually seemed vaguely startled. "The first time I 'left without warning' was an accident," he explained. "I was separated from a group of hunters and couldn't find my way home. And now," he gestured to Luffy, "our situation doesn't exactly permit us to stay in one area for too long." But he studied Laki's expression for a long moment, and he reached out to take more food. "But if the Kurska are really that anxious to see me, I guess I have no reason to deny them a simple hello. I'm sure they're doing well, though."

"They are well enough, though they would like to see that you are too." She fell silent, looking contemplative.

There was a tense bit of silence before Luffy broke it with a cleared throat and a bright, "Seconds?"

Laki blinked at him, startled, looking even more so when she noticed how quickly the food had disappeared. "Ah. Dessert, then?" She looked and sounded a little lost.

Luffy merely beamed.

Zoro was a little thankful for his friend's interruption, though he chose not to voice it. Instead, he silently watched as Laki unveiled the mouth-watering cake that had been resting on the table untouched. Usopp gave an impressed whistle as its moist contents were cut into, and he proceeded to spin a tale about a vast cakeland he'd encountered several years ago. Zoro himself ate a small piece, watching as the others began to slip into more relaxed chatter about what they intended to buy when they finally got to the city they had originally set out for.

There was no doubt in Zoro's mind that he'd be there with them when they finally were able to take care of their business, but he chose not to take part in any of the conversation. Especially when he was too busy contemplating the price he'd have to pay to leave this place.

Soon, the cake had been eaten and everyone's plates were empty. "That meal was amazing!" Usopp complemented Laki. "And I'd know - I used to work in the greatest restaurant in the desert!"

"Mm, yes, it was very good," Nami agreed with a smile. "May I help you clean up?"

"The icing on the cake was homemade, wasn't it?" Sanji asked intently, smiling. "I can tell – the consistency is just right – "

Laki looked a little overwhelmed by the compliments and offers, and smiled truly for the first time since they had met her. "Ah, thank you," she said a little awkwardly, nodding briefly at Sanji before she turned to Nami. She seemed to consider her answer for just a moment before she relented, though she still sounded just a little stiff. "Yes... Nami. I would appreciate it."

"I'll help too!" Sanji said immediately, grinning at the two women. "I could never leave two lovely ladies in distress – "

"That would be nice of you, Sanji-kun," Nami replied sweetly, and she began to collect several plates together. Usopp, apparently feeling a little awkward, got up and began to help as well.

Zoro, on the other hand, stubbornly watched them, though he occasionally handed Nami or Usopp a plate.

Luffy moved to help too, but after he broke his first plate and dropped the second in a spectacular manner onto the ground (though, surprisingly, it did not shatter), Sanji pulled the glass he was holding out of his hand and said firmly, "I think we're good, Luffy."

"Okay," Luffy said cheerfully, unfazed, and dropped into a seat next to Zoro. He tilted his legs against the ground and rocked them back and forth, idly watching everyone else do the work.

"I'm kind of tired," Zoro commented simply after watching the prince for a moment. "I'm probably going to go ahead and go to bed."

"Me too," Luffy said casually, as if he had been waiting for someone to say that so he could leave as well. Laki glanced at the two and nodded, turning back immediately to washing the dishes. "I don't know where to go," Luffy added after a moment.

Laki turned, looking a little confused. "Ah, yes. You left to train before you saw your room. Aisa should be around to show you, but it is just on the second level, to the right. There are only two rooms up there, and Nami's has a bag in it. I'm sure you can manage." Rather than seeming a cold dismissal, however, her words showed a bit of trust.

Luffy grinned brightly at her and stood, nodding. "Alright, thanks!" He tugged on Zoro's arm to make him stand. "Coming, Zoro?"

"Yeah," Zoro quietly muttered, slowly rising from his chair. "I'm sure we won't get lost." As he said this, he cast an annoyed glance toward Usopp and Nami before making his way up the stairs.

Luffy caught Sanji's questioning glance toward Usopp at the comment just before they disappeared into the hallway, and he couldn't help smiling in amusement. "Don't worry," Luffy said softly as they walked up the stairs, giving Zoro a mischievous smile, "if we end up on another continent, I'll protect you."

Startled by the comment, Zoro couldn't help but get that same, face-burning feeling he'd gotten when Laki had told him Sanji hadn't come to dinner uninvited, though this situation was decidedly less threatening. "I guess it could be worse," he half grumbled in an effort to keep his spirits up. Sliding open the bedroom they were supposed to be sharing, the swordsman wasn't surprised to find a set of mats and blankets neatly spread across the floor.

Luffy smiled, as amused by Zoro's flush as his comment, and his reiteration of his favorite phrase. "Yeah, you could be protected by Sanji, and then need protection from him, and he'd need some from you. That could get confusing."

"There are very few things I need protection from," Zoro said simply as he began to slip off his shoes and shirt. "And nothing that would require protection from _him_."

"Unless he grew an extra set of legs," Luffy said, nodding.

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?" Zoro's mind was too busy thinking over other things that he didn't have the energy to try and figure out one of Luffy's weird riddles.

"Then you'd be outnumbered," Luffy said, as if it should be obvious. "That's his weapon, right? It'd be Four Legs against Three Swords, and who _knows _what'd happen then." He kicked his sandals off to the side and pulled off his hat, carefully holding it in his hands.

Unhooking his swords from his belt, Zoro rested them gently against the wall, though he took a moment to carefully examine Wadou. Either he hadn't heard Luffy's explanation, or he chose not to comment.

Luffy glanced over, noting Zoro's silence. Rather than interrupt whatever thoughts had captivated him, Luffy turned to study the mats. He took his time choosing, ending up with the one nearest the window for no particular reason other than he liked the breeze, knew they were on the second floor so there likely wouldn't be any attacks through there, and he reasoned that Zoro would wish to be between him and the door. And if anyone threw anything into the window like Benevelene, then from the angle from ground level, it would probably sail across the room instead of fall straight below the window, where Luffy would be.

Satisfied, Luffy dropped onto the mat, leaned against the wall so he could stretch his legs out in front of him, and set his hat next to him with one protective hand lingering on it. "Okay. So, I think we need a signal, don't you?"

The bodyguard slowly turned his gaze onto the Prince. "A signal?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Luffy nodded, looking completely at ease as he crooked one knee up and rested his arm across it. He watched Zoro closely but his tone remained casual. "I don't know what's happening with these tribes, and I don't want you to tell me unless you really want to. But it's obvious you're not really comfortable, so I was thinking we should have a signal... In case something goes really wrong, and you want us to run, or distract them or something. I'd probably get it anyway, but just in case we could set something up now while there's no one around to listen in."

Watching Luffy carefully for a moment, Zoro quietly bowed his head. His mouth set into a firm line. "No. I won't be running away from this one." Pausing, he settled down onto the mat beside Luffy's. "You don't need to be concerned. They won't attack us."

"Attack?" Luffy looked surprised at the idea. "I didn't think they'd attack us. You just don't like it here so I thought we may need some backup plan. They've been pretty nice, otherwise."

"We'll see if they're still nice in the morning," Zoro snorted. "That's when the Kurska arrive."

"Hmm." Scooting around so he could flop on his back next to his hat, Luffy watched the ceiling instead of Zoro when he said idly, "It sounds like they're really looking forward to seeing you."

"Yes, I'm sure they are," Zoro easily replied. Leaning back against his elbows, the man's eyebrows furrowed. "But as to why... well, I guess we'll find out tomorrow."

Luffy nodded. He paused a moment, thinking about everything he had learned of the situation so far, though it wasn't much. He didn't feel it necessary to pry into Zoro's life, but at the same time, he couldn't exactly turn a blind eye if his friend was in trouble. "Don't worry, I'll watch out for you," he said after some deliberation, offhanded but confident.

Zoro laughed a little. "I can watch out for myself just fine. I used to live with these people."

"I know," Luffy said, turning his head to smile serenely. "But I will anyway."

"Well, with all the watching we're supposedly going to do tomorrow, we should probably go to bed," Zoro remarked, fully lying down on his mat now.

"I'll beat you to it," Luffy said with a laugh, closing his eyes and resting his head on his hands.

"Beat me to what?" Zoro looked over to Luffy, raising an eyebrow. "Falling asleep?"

"Mm," Luffy assented, actually sounding half-asleep already. "It'll be morning before you know it."

Snorting, Zoro faced the ceiling, focusing on the other man's easy breathing. Despite the thoughts on his mind, the swordsman was never one to lose sleep over mere concerns. Within moments, he had followed Luffy into a deep sleep.

Morning sunshine poured through the windows, bright and hot and impossible to ignore. The room, filled with the mumbles and snores of four young men sprawled across the floor, was soon joined by the addition of birdsong and the distant shout of villagers drifting through the glass.

Although Sanji was the one furthest from the window, he was the first to stir awake. Years of living in a restaurant where he needed to be alert at early hours to prepare breakfast had ingrained in him an ability to feel rested on short bursts of sleep. That, and he was closest to the door and couldn't help overhearing movement downstairs as well as distantly through the windows.

Yawning, he pushed himself up and rubbed his eyes, though his left hand only ended up mussing up the hair hanging over his face. He glanced around, noting that the other three still seemed dead asleep, and carefully made his way to the window, where he stood to the side of Luffy's mat and leaned over him to peer down below. The main road spread beneath him, and though his view was limited, he was fairly certain he could see a crowd moving its way toward Laki's house. Raising his eyebrows, he pushed away from the wall and searched for his shoes and jacket.

"Hey," he said loudly to the room at large, his voice just a little rough from sleep still. "Wake up. I think those Kur-people are here."

Usopp snorted awake, tangling himself in the blankets he'd been wrapped in. "Huh?" he mumbled sleepily. "Who?"

"The Kur...ksen?" Sanji offered, tapping his toes against the ground to settle his shoes as he straightened his tie. "The other tribe that's coming today? I think they're here." He glanced out the window, adding under his breath, "Early arrival, too. They must be exhausted."

Jerking a thumb toward the swordsman, Usopp gave a nervous grin. "You wanna wake him up? I don't want my head bitten off this morning."

Watching Zoro for a moment, Sanji grinned suddenly at Usopp. "I have a better idea." Walking over to Luffy, he kicked him lightly in the ribs. "Hey. Hey, wake up already."

Luffy mumbled something cross but he did open his eyes, even if it was to blearily glare at Sanji. "What?" he asked, looking ready to immediately fall asleep again.

"Wake up Zoro," Sanji said, jerking his thumb toward the swordsman directly behind him. "The Kurksen are here."

"Kurska," Luffy said absently, rolling onto his side so his back was to Sanji. "And _you _do it. I'm ti..." He blinked suddenly and flopped onto his back, peering up at the smug chef. "_Oh. _They're here? Okay." Pushing himself up, he slapped Sanji sleepily on the legs. "Get out of my way, then."

Sanji walked toward the door instead, straightening his coat. "Meet you downstairs," he said to Luffy then glanced at Usopp as he passed. "Coming, you lazy bum?"

The long-nosed man glanced toward Zoro and Luffy before quickly scrambling onto his feet. "Y-yeah." And with that, he promptly followed the cook out into the hallway and down the stairs.

Luffy waited until the door had gently swung shut behind the two before he leaned forward to watch Zoro sleep for a few moments. He looked fairly content at that moment, his eyelids fluttering in the midst of some dream, his mouth slack and not looking ready to frown or tighten anytime soon. It was sort of peaceful to just sit there watching him, with his deep, even breathing and how utterly relaxed he was.

But it couldn't last forever, and Zoro probably wanted time to at least wake fully before the Kurska arrived at Laki's doorstep.

"Zoro," Luffy said, though he didn't expect him to wake after he slept through all that earlier commotion, "Wake up." He didn't think Zoro would attack him in his sleep like he had back in Benevelene Clinic that one time, but just in case, he thought he should try this first.

The swordsman only rolled over, pulling a blanket over his head.

Luffy couldn't help smiling to himself fondly, amused. Kneeling beside the mat, Luffy reached over and gently shook his bodyguard's shoulder, saying, "Hey, Zoro, wake up. The Kurska are here."

Zoro snorted awake, his eyes quickly opening. Turning back toward Luffy, he barely suppressed a yawn. "They're what?"

"They're here," Luffy repeated, swiping his hat off the floor and pushing himself to his feet with a stretch. "Sanji said so."

"It's too damn early," Zoro grumbled, but he managed to throw off his blanket and get to his feet. Walking to the window, he looked outside, his dark gaze settling upon the crowd that had entered the village by now. His expression was unreadable for a moment before his eyes snapped toward the swords that were propped against the wall. Upon seeing they were still in place, his shoulders seemed to relax, and he strode over to pick them up and attach them to his belt.

"Yeah, you didn't tell me they were morning people," Luffy said around a yawn. He slipped his hat on his head, making sure the string was in place around his neck, and stepped into his sandals. Even though he had gone to sleep before anyone, he still felt it was entirely too early to be expected to be fully awake.

Having already put on his own shoes, Zoro stretched and yawned. After getting that bit of sleep out of system, however, his face became grim. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter now. They've arrived, and now we just have to deal with it."

Nodding, Luffy wandered toward the door. "I wonder if Laki has breakfast first," he said wistfully.

Zoro didn't answer. Instead, he followed the prince until he'd passed him and descended down the stairway alone. After he reached the bottom floor, he glanced around and realized it hadn't appeared that the Kurska had made to Laki's house yet. Still, it didn't buy him a lot of time. Someone was probably informing the group of his whereabouts at that very moment.

A glance into the kitchen showed Sanji making breakfast with no Laki to be found, though Luffy was not particularly disappointed since he knew how well Sanji cooked. Wandering to the front door while he waited for breakfast, Luffy peered outside at the group.

"Oh. Laki's over there, talking with Kamakiri and a really scary-looking guy." He didn't sound particularly afraid despite his words; if anything, he sounded interested. Although he was speaking aloud for Zoro's benefit, he got distracted by the man. "Look at all those tattoos! That's amazing! I wonder what Ace'd do if I showed up with one like that..." He had to laugh to himself.

Zoro turned toward the trio, his eyebrows furrowing. "That's Wiper," he said. "He's with the Kurska."

"Huh," Luffy said. "Strange name." He stood on his tiptoes as if to see better over the crowd, though it did very little to help. "How many Kurska are there, anyway? I thought there'd be more."

"Not sure exactly how many there are now," Zoro muttered. "Maybe about one hundred and fifty, but this is probably only a small hunting party of about fifteen people. I doubt the entire village would come here at once."

"Oh." Before Luffy could say any more, Sanji called out that breakfast was ready, and that was all it took to distract him. With a smile Zoro's way, he brushed against him briefly as if for reassurance and disappeared into the kitchen, where he could already be heard loudly exclaiming about the wonders of this and that and was that all Sanji planned to make because he was really hungry...

With a glance toward the door Luffy disappeared into, Zoro couldn't help but feel mildly surprised. Still, he didn't dwell on it long, and he soon seated himself at the dining room table. He could already tell that today was going to be a long one; there wasn't any harm in getting as much breakfast as he could to start the day right.

It took a good ten minutes before they were interrupted, at which point most of them were well into their plates of food. Laki appeared abruptly in the doorway, her expression as unreadable as ever, her eyes dark as they locked on Zoro. "You've been summoned," she said into the brief silence that fell at her appearance.

Luffy paused with his hand halfway to his mouth, and looked at Zoro sidelong to gauge his reaction, and judge by his expression if he or the others should follow.

"Summoned?" Zoro echoed with a quirked eyebrow. "What, you guys consider me so beneath you now that people can't even come get me themselves?" He stood up anyway, although his mouth was creased into a dark frown. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"Just outside," Laki said, inclining her head toward the front door. She offered no other explanation, simply turning and heading outside herself.

Pausing for a moment, the swordsman turned toward Luffy. "You can stay in here and eat if you want. I don't care."

Luffy nodded but he stood and set his food on his plate. "Let's go see what they want," he said with a smile.

Looking a little surprised, Zoro didn't say anything. Instead, he turned toward the brightly lit doorway and stepped toward it. Slowly looking outside, the swordsman was a little annoyed to find a small group of Lanshi and Kurska alike standing to greet him. It was as if they'd come to see some sort of event, and Zoro couldn't help but feel more irritated by that.

"Well?" he called, frowning as he casually surveyed the group. "Who 'summoned' me?"

Movement from the center of the Kurska group drew his attention, where several people shifted to allow someone to step forward. There was a moment of confusion, followed by a woman's voice drawling, "So the rumors were true."

Stepping into the open, she stared up at Zoro, dark hair short and blowing in the wind, dark eyes staring at him in cold challenge. Her hands rested at her hips, and the look she gave him was half taunting, half displeased.

Zoro had known that this had been unavoidable the moment they landed their ship here. His gaze settling onto the woman, the swordsman folded his arms over his chest. His eyebrows furrowed, and, if it were possible, his frown only grew heavier. But he didn't shrink away under her accusing gaze; instead, he met her challenge with a stare of his own, his shoulders proudly squared. But he didn't exactly answer her, choosing to only acknowledge her presence.

"Kuina," he murmured darkly.

She smiled; a tight, humorless look. "You remember me? I'd wondered. You disappear for how long, no word, and return just as suddenly. Tell me, Zoro, if we hadn't found you first, would you even have bothered to say hello?"

Zoro suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "You make it sound as if I ran away. For your information, I was separated from our clan, had _no way_ to get in contact with you, and got caught up in some business that happened to bring me back here."

"Business," Kuina repeated flatly, her intense gaze shifting past Zoro to linger on Luffy, Sanji, Usopp and Nami standing just behind and to his side. "I had heard something of the sort." She considered them for a brief moment before turning her attention back to Zoro. "Come down here." It was clear that it was a command and not a request.

Zoro lingered by the door for a few moments, though it was difficult to tell whether he was doing it to defy Kuina or not. Soon, however, he stepped off the porch, dust rising as his boots hit the dirt path. Within moments, he stood before the young woman, his gaze narrowed and wary.

Kuina's eyes remained proud and strong as he stepped in front of her, but there was the smallest smug smile pulling at one corner of her lips. "At least you still remember who is in charge," she said lowly. Her gaze trailed down to his hip, where the three swords hung in their scabbards. "Good, this makes it easy. Give me Wadou." She held her hand out expectantly.

Snorting at her comment, Zoro scowled. "You aren't going to dictate how I'm going to live my life," he sharply reminded her. "And, if I remember correctly, Wadou was presented as a _gift_ to me. If you want it now, maybe you should have thought of that when I actually offered it back to you."

Kuina's expression darkened, her mouth pulling down into a frown. "Don't draw this out, Zoro. You are standing in our territory now, not yours. And you forfeited any right to Wadou when you left."

"So, I'm no longer a member of my own clan now, is that it?" Zoro growled. "And I already told you that I was separated from a hunting party. It was a damn _accident_. You honestly think I'd do something as dishonorable as running away?" The swordsman's lip almost curled. "I have done nothing to bring shame to the Kurska, and you know this."

"Is that so?" Kuina narrowed her eyes. "You will stay here, then? Those... outsiders," her voice showed clear distaste at the word, "will be escorted out of our territory, they will leave the island, and you will give me Wadou anyway because we both know it was a mistake that got you it in the first place."

Zoro's eyebrow twitched at the last phrase, as if it had either angered him or stung deeply. "These 'outsiders,' as you call them, happen to be my comrades, and you will treat them with the same courtesy you would treat someone of the Lanshi or Kurska."

Kuina lifted her eyebrow. "They are no friends of mine, and you will _not _tell me how to treat anyone. Did you forget that I'm the chief's daughter? You have no right to dictate my actions."

"Of course I didn't forget," Zoro said lowly. "It's just like you to hide behind a title like that. You have no right to treat my companions like dogs when they haven't even done anything to offend you."

Kuina's expression turned cold at his comment about hiding behind the title, but when she spoke it was to say, "How am I treating them like dogs? I said we would escort them. With so many bandits about, I assumed you would appreciate that measure of protection."

"I'm afraid if you escort them out, I will have no choice but to leave with them," Zoro simply informed her.

"Why?" She was watching him closely now, some of the iciness giving way to irritation. "You disappeared on accident, and had no way to contact us according to you. Well, you've found us. If you're so angry that I'm implying you're no longer a clansman, you should be _thrilled_ to stay."

"I'd like to return in the future," Zoro informed her. "But I can't stay just yet. These 'outsiders' need my help, and I won't abandon them."

Kuina waved a dismissive hand. "Ah, just help. I'm sure they can find plenty of people to replace you. The cities have plenty of men low on money who would be happy to find work."

Zoro shook his head. "You don't understand. I can't abandon them."

Kuina sighed, a little more of her attitude falling away as she swiped some hair out of her eyes. "Listen, I was irritated before, but what you said is true. You are still Kurska, even if you are a complete idiot. You were always terrible with directions; I could see you honestly losing track of us. You have been gone two years, and now you are home again. Why would you leave us again?"

Zoro watched her carefully, his gaze softening slightly for a moment. "There's something I have to do before I can come back," he said softly. He paused, glancing back toward Luffy and speaking slowly. "I've made a promise to someone, and you know it's the way of the Kurska to keep their word."

Following his glance, Kuina watched the others with a slight frown, not knowing which of them he referred to. "A promise," she said, sounding a little confused. "You made a promise to an outsider? The sort that is important enough to take you from us again?"

"Yes," Zoro replied darkly, his gaze sliding back to the young woman. "I'll freely admit that it was during a time when I didn't think I'd be able to find you again. But, I don't regret it. It's a good cause. I'm not the type to blindly throw my loyalty around. You should know this better than anyone."

She watched Zoro closely for a few moments, studying his expression and body language. Finally, she shook her head slightly, but her tone was not unkind. "Regardless, you can't make a promise to an outsider like that and leave it unchallenged, Zoro. You know that. You know our rules. That's tantamount to betrayal."

Zoro was silent for a few moments, his eyes briefly closing. "I knew you would say that," he muttered gravely. "So, you're challenging my association with these outsiders."

"Yes, I am. It can be no other way." Kuina turned her attention to the four standing just outside Laki's doorway. "Which was the 'someone' you mentioned before? All four of them?"

"No," Zoro bluntly replied. Pausing a moment, he turned and pointed to Luffy. "It's him."

"Come here, then," Kuina said loudly to Luffy, so he would hear.

Luffy briefly glanced at Zoro questioningly, but he didn't wait for approval before he walked forward. He stopped a little behind and to Zoro's side, his attention purely on Kuina, who was staring at him intensely. She looked him up and down, scrutinizing every bit of his appearance. Luffy said nothing, deciding that in her view it would rather be like a peasant casually greeting his mother the Queen before she had even introduced herself or formally acknowledged their presence.

Kuina's gaze trailed back up to Luffy's eyes, and she did not look away even as she asked Zoro, "Who is he to you?" There was the slightest hint of a challenge to her tone, but she kept it fairly professional.

"He is my friend," Zoro replied firmly, as if he were daring her to say otherwise. "And his life has become my responsibility."

"His life... What do you mean? You're his... bodyguard?"

Zoro watched her carefully, as if trying to gauge her reaction. "Something like that, yes."

"Hmm." Kuina finally looked to Zoro again. "It still won't work," she said frankly. "He is not a tribesman, so any promise you have made to him is not recognized by the clan. You are welcome to leave with them, provided you understand that you are no longer Kurska and you leave Wadou with me. That will _not_ leave the hands of our clansmen."

Hearing this seemed to stun the swordsman, and he stared at Kuina for several, long moments. Yes, a part of him had been prepared for something like this, but he'd had no idea the decision would be this swift, sure and firm. After all, Zoro had once held a lofty position within his tribe, and he thought his clansmen would at least take a little bit of time to deliberate among themselves.

_That was before she turned them against you,_ he silently reminded himself, and he frowned.

"It's not as simple as you're making it sound," Zoro reminded her evenly.

"And your absence is not as simple as _you _make it sound," Kuina said firmly, her expression unforgiving. "You thought there would be no consequences for disappearing, whether intended or not? With no words, you left with one of our greatest treasures, and now you return to taunt that you have found a more important, meaningful existence in those two years than in all the years with us before that?"

"I did not say it was 'more important' than our clansmen," Zoro said. "I only said that I had to fulfill the promise I made. I can't go back on it, and I don't want to."

Kuina crossed her arms, looking unsympathetic. "Well, then you have a difficult decision to make. You can't come and go as you please, and at the very least you will need to leave Wadou with us."

Luffy watched the exchange, pulling his eyebrows down in thought. "Isn't there anything I can do?"

Kuina looked at him, a little startled, as if she had forgotten he existed or could understand their conversation. "What?"

"The problem is I'm an outsider, and untrustworthy, right? Isn't there anyway I can... I don't know..." Luffy trailed off, not entirely sure what he was asking. "Isn't there anything?"

"There is," Zoro answered him. "But this sort of thing doesn't happen very often, so people don't know how to react."

"Okay, let's start." Luffy looked at Zoro expectantly, either ignoring or not noticing Kuina's surprised expression.

"You haven't even heard what it is," she reminded him, sounded a little irritated that he seemed so determined.

Luffy shrugged unconcernedly. "If I do it, Zoro's not in trouble and can keep his family, right? Just tell me what to do."

"You should at least listen to what it is," Zoro firmly told him, his gaze shifting to the prince.

"Okay. Could you please explain, then?" Luffy asked Kuina politely.

She nodded, turning her attention solely to Luffy. "You must become an honorary clansman for the promise to hold any weight. To do that, you have to prove that you have what it takes to be Kurska. You will be set a task, which you must complete absolutely alone with no help, and it will take place in the area of our choosing. This quest will be dangerous, certainly life-threatening for a foreigner unused to the demands of nature, and often takes several days." Kuina paused, adding seriously, "It would not be surprising if you died during it, not knowing what you were doing."

Luffy's expression did not change in the least during her explanation. "What is the quest and when do I start?"

She narrowed her eyes, strengthening her tone. "You very well may forfeit your life during this, you understand. In this case, you would be alone for probably a week in the forest near our latest camp. You will be given nothing to aid you, no food or water or weapons; instead, you will have to find it all on your own. There are animals that could rip you to shreds in the middle of the night, and simple plants that could poison you and leave you to die painfully. You will have to navigate entirely on your own, finding your way to the object you seek and back to our camp with no help whatsoever, not even a compass or map. If you take longer than two weeks, you lose whether you have found the item or not. If you come back without the item, you lose whether you come within the time limit or not. If you somehow find, then lose, the item, it will still be as though you never had it, and you fail.

"Should you fail for _any _reason, Zoro's faith in an outsider will be lost, and our faith in his ability to choose his loyalties will be as well. He will be shunned, possibly disowned from the tribe, and Wadou will become my property. You will greatly shame us all, Zoro especially, and it will take a lot for his honor and pride to recover."

Luffy met her gaze evenly, nodding calmly. "But if I can complete the task in time, Zoro returns to the clan's good graces? He can leave with us with honor, and keep Wadou?"

Kuina frowned. "The sword is another matter," she said firmly.

"Then make it harder, but allow the sword in the deal," Luffy said just as firmly back. "Give me something you think impossible, if it makes you feel better. One week time limit instead of two. I have to find the rarest flower in the forest. Send me through country that even your people avoid. I don't care what the new requirements are, but if I complete the task then Zoro also gets to keep Wadou."

Blinking rapidly, Zoro looked over at the young man. "Luffy," he muttered. "Are you sure you want to do this? Wadou doesn't necessarily concern you. You don't need to risk your life for any of this if you don't want to."

Luffy smiled at Zoro, saying lightly, "Shh. I'm making a deal here."

Kuina frowned at the interaction. "He's right. What concern is it of yours whether he has the sword or not? It has nothing to do with you. This is our history, not yours."

"It's important to Zoro," Luffy said with a shrug, as if that was all the explanation needed.

Clearly startled by this response, Zoro stared at Luffy as if really seeing him for the first time. _It's important to him because it's important to me_, he realized, and he suddenly noticed how sweaty his palms had become. The trial would not be an easy one, if it was a determining factor in whether he'd be accepted as a Kurska. Was he actually anxious for Luffy's safety?

Luffy's reaction seemed only to annoy Kuina. "You have the look of a pampered, naïve little boy," she said harshly, "who knows nothing of what he speaks. You think such a simple explanation will work? Your demands are too high for someone with no standing here."

Luffy narrowed his eyes at Kuina, his tone becoming a little heated. He didn't even seem to notice anyone else was around, and certainly hadn't noticed Zoro's earlier reaction. "I'll grant that you're the chief's daughter, and I don't know anything about the Kurska or what Wadou means to either of you, but you're being unreasonable. If you want a better explanation, don't insult me to get it. If you must know, Zoro's my friend. He's my _friend, _and I care about him_. _ And, like you already know, he's helping protect my life. If I can't even risk my life to protect something important to him in return, what sort of person would I be?"

He paused, softening his tone to careful politeness. "Please consider my request, and if it will help with the proceedings, then feel free to make the requirements impossible. I don't care. I'll do whatever you say, and I'll help Zoro. Alright?" He could not help the last word coming out a little forceful.

Kuina glared at Luffy, but it was clear that his attitude had taken her aback. They had a silent stare-off for a few moments before she pulled herself to her full height and crossed her arms, looking at him almost haughtily. "Very well. I will consider the new requirements, and will notify you later in the day with all the details. In the meantime, I suggest you do anything you would regret not doing should you die on this quest." Her smile, when it came, was angry and unkind, even if her tone was sweet. "I promise to fulfill your expectations, and make this impossible."

Luffy merely inclined his head. "Thank you."

She lengthened her smile, walking right up to him and speaking so softly that only he and Zoro could hear. "I doubt you'll be so thankful a few days from now. I'm looking forward to you returning, empty-handed or past the time limit, and crying in your failure. You think you're so strong, but you have no idea what it means to be Kurska. You will see. And you will regret."

Not backing down, Luffy simply smiled. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"

"We will," she said firmly, stepping back to turn a glower on Zoro and him both. Without another word, she turned and stalked away.

Luffy waited a moment then laughed lightly under her breath. "I think she's mad that I talked back in front of everyone like that. What do you think?" He turned toward Zoro with an easygoing, amused smile.

Zoro only watched Kuina make her way through the crowd, his lips slightly parted in wonder. Then, as if realizing he'd been spoken to, the swordsman sharply turned to Luffy. "Well, whatever the reason is, she's definitely pissed off at you," Zoro intoned. "I don't think it bodes well for you, Luffy. She's the kind of girl who can make your life a living hell if you cross her." Pausing, he glared toward the group of staring Lanshi and Kurska. "You're treading dangerous waters here," he added. "Be careful."

Luffy shrugged, completely unconcerned. "People already are trying to kill me just for being me, so it's not like it's unprecedented." He smiled at Zoro and clapped him on the shoulder, his hand lingering in camaraderie. "It's worth it for the chance to help you. Kuina, the Lanshi and Kurska, they can throw whatever they want at me and I'll be fine. And don't worry, no matter what she says I have to do, I'll do it. That sword's important to you, I can tell. I won't let her take it just because she's mad that you accidentally left."

There was something reassuring in the way Luffy spoke, the way his hand rested against his shoulder like that. The swordsman had never known someone who was so willing to stick their neck out for him like this... it was almost humbling. But hearing the prince's words reminded him of something deeper, and he slightly bowed his head.

"It's not just that," he murmured. "There's a lot more to the situation than what you think."

"Is there?" Luffy asked lightly. "Well, is it anything I need to know for this? You don't have to tell me otherwise, unless you want to. The deal's already made and I've already decided, so it's not like it will change anything."

"Let's go inside first," Zoro muttered. "I don't want to talk about any of this while everyone's gawking." Not that most people didn't already know the layers and details to this whole conflict, but Zoro _did_ have a sense of dignity and pride that he wasn't about to compromise. As far as he was concerned, it wasn't anyone else's business except for his and Luffy's.

Luffy nodded. "We can go back to the room."

As they approached Laki's house, Sanji rushed forward and grabbed Luffy's arm. "Are you _crazy?" _he hissed under his breath, staring incredulously at him. "You don't know anything about the area and you're angering the _chief's daughter _– who is very hot and a woman, in case you didn't notice, so you shouldn't have yelled at her, you asshole – just for Zoro's stupid _sword?" _

Blinking, Luffy pulled lightly on his arm. "It's not a big deal, Sanji," he said, totally confused by his vehemence. "And I don't care if she's the chief's daughter. She was being mean."

Sanji just dropped Luffy's arm to cover his face in exasperation. "You're completely insane. I can't believe I got on a boat with you. Ever."

Luffy laughed at him. "Yeah, what were you thinking?" he agreed cheerfully.

Usopp looked as if all of the color had drained from his face. "L-Luffy, this sounds _serious_," he warned. "You could _die!_"

A cheerful laugh was Luffy's reply to that as well. "I could die a lot of other ways, too." He ticked off his fingers as he listed a few. "Eating something poisonous, drowning in the sea, tripping and falling onto a sword, getting eaten by a giant snake." He shrugged. "It's not important, Usopp, really. I'd rather die tomorrow knowing I was doing something important than live a long life avoiding everything that seemed hard or 'serious.' And anyway," he added, crossing his arms and looking at everyone a little petulantly, "don't you have any faith in me? I said I'd win, so I'll win. Everyone's so paranoid."

Nami slapped a hand over her face. "You're worth too much to die over something so stupid as a sword," she snapped, clearly irritated with the prince. "Try and be careful for once!"

"I won't die," Luffy said confidently, "so it's not like I'm risking anything, right?"

But as much as he wanted to protest her argument, it was true that his life had enough value that he should be taking better care of it. With the little he knew of the prophecy and the lengths his parents had gone to get him out and safe with a bodyguard employed to protect him, he could see how anyone would think him ridiculous for this choice.

It just didn't change his decision. Zoro liked that sword, and was clearly ready to defy his old friends and family just to keep it. It was a gift. There was absolutely nothing Luffy could do, valuable life or not, other than exactly what he had done. If no one could understand that much about him from what he had already said, he couldn't think of any words that would sway their minds now. So he just smiled at Nami instead of adding to his defense.

"I need to talk to Luffy," Zoro said gruffly, interrupting anything Nami might have said. "Alone."

Sanji glanced sidelong at Zoro, but for once seemed disinclined to bother him. "Come on," he said in general to Nami and Usopp, "there's still some clean up and did anyone see where Laki went? We should thank her for letting us use her kitchen..." He clapped one hand each on Usopp and Nami's shoulders, in a gesture as much to emphasize his point as to give some silent sense of camaraderie.

Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Zoro turned and climbed the stairs, heading toward the room the men had shared the night before.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Luffy trailed along behind Zoro, not glancing behind as Sanji, Usopp and Nami made their way into the kitchen while lightly chatting as if to get their minds off the situation. When the two reached the room, he let Zoro lead the way in and closed the door behind them, curious what exactly he had to say. It made sense that Zoro wanted to be alone, since they were clearly about to talk about something he didn't want a lot of people overhearing, but at the same time it was a little strange.

He had been alone with Zoro many times, but never with the foreknowledge that they were going to discuss something related to Zoro himself, who Luffy had recently realized he was more and more interested in. The situation ended up feeling somehow different than he thought it might have even just a week earlier.

His face seemingly frozen into a soft frown, Zoro settled down onto one of the mats, his legs neatly folded in front of him. The swordsman looked up at the prince, as if expecting him to do the same.

Taking the cue, Luffy stepped away from the door and sat on a mat facing Zoro, also crossing his legs though he leaned back on his hands. He sat far enough away to give Zoro plenty of space, though truth be told part of that was for him as well. He could see Zoro better and somehow he wasn't as aware of the fact that they were alone discussing his bodyguard's secrets if he didn't sit too close. Saying nothing, Luffy just watched Zoro idly as he waited for him to speak.

"As you've probably figured out, the Kurska are the people who adopted me when I was a baby," Zoro muttered. "I think I might have said something about them before a long time ago."

Luffy nodded. "Yeah, you said you were found by some tribe or something."

Nodding grimly, Zoro folded his arms over his chest. "Well, we're a prideful people who heavily base ourselves on a life of honor and tradition. The Kurska have been roaming these lands for generations. Probably for centuries, even. Most of them don't take too well to outsiders, except for people of the Lanshi. The Lanshi are considered our close brothers because we provide them with much of their meat for the winter, and they help us make and maintain our weapons." He paused. "Especially our swords."

Luffy nodded again, and shifted his legs and arms just a little to be more comfortable. This would probably be a long story.

"But, I guess that's beside the point now," he muttered. "You've already figured out that they really don't like you all that much, especially Kuina."

Smiling a bit wryly, Luffy said, "Yeah, I sort of noticed."

"Thing is..." Zoro paused and lightly rubbed the back of his head. He averted his eyes a little, apparently bothered by whatever he was about to say. "I used to be engaged to her."

Luffy blinked then just stared at Zoro. That was completely _not _what he was expecting to hear and it took a second for him to work that knowledge into his recent encounter with Kuina. "Oh," he said after a moment, pausing thoughtfully. "You must have been engaged fairly young, huh?"

"Yeah, the arrangements were made when I was about nine, and she was eleven or twelve," Zoro said with a shrug. "The Elders thought we'd make a good match because I was the best boy at sword-fighting, and she was the chief's daughter."

Unable to help a slight snicker at the logic entailed, Luffy paused then said, "But... if they don't like outsiders, and you're not technically born into the Kurska, how did you get trusted enough to be engaged to the chief's daughter? It was really just being good with a sword?"

Frowning, Zoro gave Luffy a careful stare. "Once you have been adopted by the Kurska, they treat you as their own. I was never regarded as an outsider back then, especially since they took me in at such a young age. Trust wasn't an issue." He shrugged. "It was important her husband be really strong because he was going to be the next chief."

"Hmm." Luffy considered this, nodding after a moment. "That makes sense. They must have liked you too, then. They wouldn't want a chief who was strong but they hated, right?"

"They liked me because I worked hard," Zoro said simply. "In the Kurska, marriage is primarily centered around the ability to keep a commitment to another person. Love was a factor, but it wasn't necessary. You just had to be willing to stick by that person for the rest of your life."

Luffy frowned. "That sort of makes sense, but I don't like it," he said bluntly.

"I'm not asking for your opinion on how my people live," Zoro replied simply.

Luffy paused, not quite sure if he had offended Zoro, then carefully shrugged. "If it helps, I don't like the marriage system my country has either. For royalty, at least. At least the Kurska's makes more sense." He smiled a little as an apology. "So you were engaged?"

Zoro nodded, his gaze watching the prince carefully. He vaguely wondered if Luffy's parents had betrothed him to some girl. "For several years, at least. Then, when we started making the preparations for the marriage, Kuina's father, the Chief, decided to give me Wadou Ichimonji." He gestured to the special sword that hung at his hip. "It had been in their family for generations, and it's probably one of the first swords forged under the Lanshi-Kurska alliance. It's one of the clan's treasures."

Pausing, Zoro frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. "Evidently he thought the man in the family should use it instead of the woman, even though I'd yet to actually defeat Kuina in a duel." He gave a bitter smile. "She was furious, and she immediately appealed to the Elders to call off the wedding. Whatever she told them must have been a pretty damn convincing argument, because they canceled it the next day."

Luffy raised his eyebrows, several reactions clambering in his mind. Thinking a woman was unable to hold the sword seemed stupid to him, but he wasn't going to tell Zoro that. He probably didn't care about Luffy's opinion on any of this right now; he just wanted him to know so he understood the situation. If he were in Kuina's place, he would have been furious too, but he wasn't sure what he thought about the arrangement being called off. That also seemed stupid.

What if Zoro had loved her, and was looking forward to the marriage? Ignoring the strange twist in Luffy's stomach at the thought, he couldn't help feeling like Kuina was punishing Zoro for something that was completely not his fault. It didn't sound like Zoro had _asked _for the sword. And what had she said to Zoro earlier, when they were arguing? Zoro said the sword was a gift, and she said they both knew it was a mistake that he'd gotten it. That seemed a cruel thing to say, given the circumstances, and Luffy could not help feeling irritated with her for that.

Aloud, Luffy only said, "I had no idea the sword had such a history. No wonder it's so important." He paused, looking down at his lap thoughtfully as another part of the story caught his attention. He didn't want to annoy Zoro, but as someone who had grown up with politics attached to nearly every facet of his life, he couldn't help noting something aloud. "Calling off the wedding," he said carefully, "is... quite the statement in that case. Politically."

Another careful pause, and he refused to look up from his lap. "Unless the Kurska have different views. But... in Anchor, if someone did that, it would be a matter of dishonor for the person scorned. At least in the eyes of the court and nobility. For anyone lower who may care to pay attention, it would probably be a scandal they could gossip about."

"Mm..." Zoro took in what Luffy said in silence before he managed a bitter smile. "Let's just say that after she called it off, no one was eager to get hitched to me anymore." He shrugged a little, as if giving the appearance that it hadn't bothered him too much. "Pretty much went from hero to zero overnight, which shows just how easy it is to piss these people off sometimes. Anyway, I offered the damn sword to her since we weren't getting married anymore, but she refused to take it. Said she had something called pride, and she wasn't about to take Wadou back because 'I felt sorry for her' or whatever. I personally thought it was a shitty thing for her father to do, giving her most prized possession to me because she's a girl and everything. But I didn't realize that had been the case until after she'd called the wedding off, elsewise I wouldn't have taken the damn thing to begin with."

Looking back up somewhere within Zoro's explanation, Luffy frowned and nodded. "He should have explained it. There was no reason for you to know, and," he paused, deciding to go ahead with it anyway, "..and I can see why she was angry, but it wasn't your fault so she shouldn't have taken it out on you. Didn't the Chief tell her why? Maybe then she would have understood."

Zoro shrugged. "It's over now. She's determined to get the sword from me one way or another, but _I_ have a thing called pride, too. She's already ruined my good standing here, and I offered to give it back to her. If she's going to make this into some competition, I'm not going to give in so easy just because I think this whole thing is pretty stupid to begin with."

Luffy frowned, considering this. "The Chief is the leader of the Kurska, right? So what he says represents the will of the Kurska?"

"Basically, yeah," Zoro replied. "Why?"

For the moment, Luffy ignored Zoro's question as he made sure he understood the situation. "And he never asked for the sword back, even after the wedding was called off?"

Zoro shook his head. "No. He never did."

"With gift-giving for the Kurska, is there anything that states in spoken or unspoken rules, or dealing with pride or honor, that the gift-giver can't ask for a gift such as that back if he no longer thinks he should have given it? Keeping in mind that this is such a treasure for the Kurska, and that it was given before an engagement that was later called off."

"I don't know," Zoro admitted truthfully. "He never asked for it, but it might have been because it would have looked bad for both of us. But, then, there is the possibility that he honestly wanted me to have it."

Luffy thought about that for a bit. "It's true that it may have looked bad, but you already were having troubles, weren't you? No one, looking at the situation, would have blamed the Chief for rescinding a gift, such an important treasure of the Kurska, after the reason for giving it was gone. If the Chief is the strongest, and part of that strength is based on sword-fighting, then I would assume that the sword has traditionally remained in the hands of the Chiefs alone. And if that's the case, then it would have seemed only natural for him to take it back once it was obvious you would no longer be Chief."

Luffy paused, looking pointedly at Zoro. "But he didn't. Which makes me think that there was more reason for him giving it to you than just that Kuina's a girl. He must have seen something in you that he thought truly represented the spirit of the Kurska, so much so that even after the wedding was canceled, it did not change your right to hold that sword."

Sitting up straight, Luffy crossed his arms. "As far as I'm concerned, with or without your or Kuina's pride involved, that sword is yours. The person who has the right to give it is the only one who has the right to take it away. And if Kuina didn't want it before because she felt too stung by something that was not your fault, then she has even less reason to have it now. She's taking her anger out on the wrong person, and for that reason alone I would have protected it from her. But now I also think that the Chief would have a reason for not taking it back. And," Luffy added firmly, "it's _your _sword and _your _treasure too, right?

"It means so much to the Lanshi and Kurska, but they're fully formed as an alliance now. They can make more swords. This one is symbolic, but doesn't it ultimately mean unity and strength? Between two different people who have become one in thought, belief, or at least common goals? Maybe in some way it's fate. The man who inherited the sword that represents unity between two clans who both distrust outsiders, was born an outsider himself, and ended up leaving the country to help other outsiders. But you still represent the Kurska and Lanshi with it. So, really, in a way, you are in a far better position to uphold the spirit of the sword, by promoting unity between the clans and outsiders now, than Kuina would be, stuck with the Kurska, using it as a prop for her hurt ego. So I won't let them take it from you."

He stopped, realizing how much he said, though he didn't particularly care. It was true, it was what he thought, and if Zoro was going to tell him this story than he probably needed to hear the opinion of someone fairly objective.

Zoro seemed clearly startled by Luffy's sudden outburst. He'd never entirely looked at it that way. It was true he felt like the sword was rightfully his because the Chief had given it to him as a gift and never asked for it back, but he'd never thought about how it might look to outsiders who were unfamiliar with the isolated Kurska. In a way, he'd thought this explanation might serve to make Luffy _less_ willing to put his life on the line for Wadou. Instead, it only sealed his determination.

Luffy was clearly a man who stuck to his goals. The swordsman couldn't help but admire that.

"If you pass the test, you'll become an honorary Kurska," Zoro reminded him. "You're okay with that?"

Luffy smiled, abruptly and sincerely, softening his entire expression. "The Kurska sound like very honorable people, and if you're anything to judge, very good people, too. Why would I have a problem with that? I'd be honored that I had the chance to be involved in such an ancient, proud clan."

The swordsman gave a small smile of his own, clearly pleased with this. "Just making sure. This kind of thing doesn't happen very often, you know."

"Sounds like it," Luffy said with a laugh. "I guess that makes sense. If they don't deal with outsiders much, then there can't be many times that they need to make someone an honorary clansman." He paused, looking at Zoro curiously. "Why do they distrust outsiders so much, anyway?"

"We've had some pretty bad experiences with them during the Old Wars," Zoro replied simply. "Because of that, they're pretty distrustful of anyone who isn't a Lanshi or a Kurska, unless they're a young child. Then, they're taken in and raised as their own. It's not unusual for orphans from the city to wind up here."

"Hmm." Luffy smiled again, though it seemed more somber. "Well, I'm glad they take the children in." He paused, the smile falling as his tone became more pensive. "War does that, though at least the Kurska and Lanshi are smart enough to trust themselves and each other. Better than the civil wars that Arabasta used to have, or Merriana, where the factions are tearing everything apart and will destroy the country in the process. All this trust and distrust... it kills so many more than it saves."

"I guess that's true," Zoro muttered, averting his gaze some.

Zoro's reaction seemed a little strange. "What's wrong?" Luffy asked curiously.

"Nothing." He shrugged some before returning his gaze back to the prince. "I guess that's all I had to say."

Luffy nodded. "Well, thanks for letting me know. At least now I know why she was so mad, and what exactly the sword means."

"Nothing to thank me for," Zoro said gruffly.

"That's only because you never seem to want thanks," Luffy said with a teasing smile, but his tone turned a little more serious and respectful when he continued. "You could have let me run around without knowing the history, though, so I appreciate that you trusted me enough to tell me that much about your life."

"I didn't want you to blindly go into this," Zoro said simply, his gaze looking up to meet Luffy's smile.

"And that's why you got a thank you," Luffy said with a nod, the smile returning. He stared at Zoro, a few other questions lingering, though he wondered if he really wanted to ask them, and why he hesitated in the first place. Maybe he just felt like it was too personal. Like if Zoro suddenly asked why he wore a straw hat, or what Shanks meant to him anyway. He would tell him, but not everyone... it was personal.

"I guess I'm a pretty lousy bodyguard for letting you do this," Zoro muttered. "But, I've learned not to treat you like a dessert that needs to be put on the highest shelf."

Luffy laughed at the food analogy, sounding truly delighted. When he spoke, although he was serious about what he said, there was still a hint of laughter in his tone. "My life isn't mine to lose anymore, you don't have to worry. This is important enough that I wouldn't care if I died trying to help, but with the prophecy and my parents unable to have any more children, I can't die until I do whatever it takes to protect my people back home. And anything less than death doesn't matter. So, it's fine."

Zoro watched him carefully, almost allowing himself to listen to Luffy's nonchalant voice and become completely relaxed with the situation. The prince-no, _Luffy_ spoke with such conviction and strength that the swordsman wanted to believe that the man would pass the test no matter what horrible task Kuina pitted against him. It was a trait that was very admirable among the Kurska, something that many sought for in a spouse. "If you're accepted, don't be surprised if you get a marriage offer," Zoro snorted.

Luffy's grin was a little tricky, though in truth it was in part to hide a mild, strange sense of embarrassment he had at Zoro's comment. "Jealous, are you?" he teased lightly, not letting his brief embarrassment show. "Don't worry, I'm all yours."

The swordsman's cheeks deeply flushed, and he visibly jerked back at the comment. "Wh-what?"

Grin widening, Luffy said casually, "I'll tell them I can't, because I already have things I'm doing, and anyway I already promised you I'd hang around for awhile. Can't go back on that, can I? Where would the Pirate King be without the greatest swordsman?"

Zoro blinked some before relaxing some. "Oh. Okay, I see what you're saying."

But his own comment brought up one of the main questions Luffy wanted to ask before, and he couldn't help himself this time. He looked past Zoro to stare at the window, though he could still clearly see the swordsman's expressions in his peripheral vision. "Zoro?" he asked hesitantly, his tone serious again. "Can I ask – Are you-? I mean, did you... love Kuina?"

He glanced at Zoro, continuing faster, "I mean, because when I win, you'll be accepted here again, and if you'd rather stay - I have Sanji, Usopp and Nami, so we could probably get by. Or else, if you wanted to leave right away after you get me to Shanks', you could get back here within just a few months, I bet... Enough time for wedding plans in the background..."

Zoro rapidly blinked at the sudden onslaught of questions before he suddenly laughed, humorless and short. "Kuina's a good person and a strong fighter, but we'll always piss each other off. We always have to some degree, even when we were betrothed. There won't be any wedding plans, not by a long shot. You don't have to worry." He paused, giving Luffy an even look. "As far as my status here goes, this is _always_ how I've been treated since Kuina called the wedding off. I don't know if it'll change if-when-you pass the test. But, I've already told you I'll stay with you for as long as you need me around. Coming back here doesn't change that."

Feeling intensely relieved, Luffy grinned brilliantly. "Okay," he said happily. "Good. Remember you told me that when I come back a hero and they're falling all over you again." It was more out of happy teasing than anything that he said that; he didn't doubt Zoro's word, and knew he meant it when he said he would be around.

He knew since the near-drowning that Zoro meant a lot to him, that somehow he became so important to him that his presence was as necessary as breathing, but hearing about Zoro's past life had made him wonder, briefly, what Zoro felt about it all. They had only known each other a very brief time; what hold could Luffy possibly have on someone with so much history and potential? It was not that Luffy doubted his worth or Zoro's word... he had just wondered, for a few moments, if maybe Zoro had wanted his old life back instead of the new one he'd planned with Luffy when he thought he would never see his people again. It was good to know that Zoro still planned to choose him and Luffy couldn't help feeling incredibly pleased.

Zoro snorted. "Yeah, sure, okay. I'll keep that in mind." Then, he paused, suddenly looking a little thoughtful. "If anyone gives you any trouble, lemme know."

"Trouble?" Luffy echoed, confused. "Like what?"

"You know how people are about outsiders," Zoro simply said.

"Oh." Luffy shrugged. "It'll be fine."

"I'm sure you will be, too," Zoro replied. "Just letting you know, though."

Luffy smiled. "Thanks. I will."

The conversation fell to a comfortable lull, and for a moment the two were left just looking at each other. For some reason, Luffy found that made him smile a little wider. Before anything new could be discussed, however, there was a sudden knock on the door and Nami yelled for them to get downstairs. Laki could be heard distantly talking to the others about some sights in the area, at which point Usopp loudly proclaimed he had once been somewhere similar and Sanji's even louder yell cut him off. Luffy laughed, pushed himself up, and clapped Zoro on the shoulder on his way out the room. Zoro was close behind him.

Despite knowing that later he would learn what this supposedly impossible task would be, Luffy found that the day passed relatively quickly and happily. Each of them found something to do that interested them.

Sanji cooked an especially brilliant dinner ("As a small token of my gratitude for allowing us the chance to spend time with such a beautiful woman," was his excuse to Laki) and asked for local recipes and where to get native herbs and plants. Usopp discovered to his delight that some of the weapons and tools the Kurska created had really intriguing designs. He managed to find a younger warrior who was just fascinated enough by outsiders to risk sitting and talking to him about how this bow was created, or what they did with that instrument.

Nami wandered off a few times to tour the area on her own and chat with some of the local women about what exactly the Lanshi and Kurska did. The Lanshi were a little more polite and approachable than the Kurska, and while they seemed a bit more open to speaking about themselves after it was clear that Luffy was willing to risk his life to become an honorary Kurska, Usopp, Sanji and Nami kept running into points in the conversation where their informant suddenly stopped explaining something, or became very suspicious of a simple question.

Luffy was content to just wander around, sometimes watching his friends talk excitedly to a local, sometimes just sitting around watching the day pass quietly. He felt no particular urgency to be doing anything, but took great pleasure and strength from knowing that Zoro was always standing or sitting near him. Luffy joked about some stories he had overheard from sailors when he was younger, and even drew a short-lived, startled laugh out of Zoro at one point that caused Luffy to grin in smug satisfaction for a good five minutes afterwards.

The sun bore relentlessly down until it moved lower in the sky, and as the shadows were lengthening and they were all just finishing the dessert Sanji made that was inspired by a local plant, their day of relative lightheartedness was brought to an abrupt end. Laughter had broken out over something inane, but it fell to an awkward silence when Kamakiri appeared in the kitchen doorway, looking immediately at Luffy.

"She is ready for you in the Sacred Hall," he said, ignoring the quiet and the many glances suddenly cast between him and Luffy. After a pause, Kamakiri added, "Zoro is allowed entrance if he wishes, but it is otherwise a private audience."

Luffy nodded calmly, shoved a handful of food in his mouth for the road, and managed a grin around it all as he stood. He said something that was intensely muffled, but seemed to be a question.

"I will show you," Kamakiri said, assuming Luffy asked where they were going. He pivoted and strode away, expression serious and neutral, not even glancing over his shoulder to make sure he was being followed.

Luffy fell into a light trot behind him, also just assuming Zoro would come with.

Zoro didn't waste any time finishing off his food or even nodding to his comrades as he left. His gaze was focused on Kamakiri, and he was intent on staying close to Luffy's side. In all honesty, he'd expected Kuina to hold a public meeting about the task in an attempt to humiliate and possibly intimidate the prince out of going through with it. The fact that she'd requested a private meeting hinted that there wouldn't be any of that, though it still unnerved the swordsman a little. By doing this, Kuina was fully demonstrating that _she_ was the one in charge and that he should never let himself forget it.

It took the three of them just under five minutes to reach their destination, a simple building set off the side of the main walkway. Luffy had passed it on their way to training the other day without ever giving it a second glance, as he had assumed it was just another home. For something called 'the Sacred Hall,' he had assumed it would be grand and impossible to mistake for anything but an official building.

He changed his mind as they stepped inside. Though the ceiling was relatively low-lying, and it was dark with the coming of the night, there were so many candles scattered around it was like standing in a plane of stars. There were no seats, just a large, empty room that was covered in woven mats. The walls were constructed of a wood that shone beautifully in the flickering light, enough that he almost felt he could see his reflection surrounding him.

Sitting regally on the ground at the far end of the room was Kuina, wearing a dress that Luffy somehow knew was official. It was in the simple cut of the fabric, as if the chief's daughter had so much power that she need not display it crassly in her clothing. She watched them with dark, unreadable eyes half hidden beneath her hair and a simple headdress.

Kuina said nothing, but Kamakiri stepped back and closed the door behind him as if commanded, leaving the three completely alone. Luffy found himself standing when he didn't know the protocol, and wondered briefly if that was intentional; he could be unwittingly insulting her right now, and she could use that later for justification for making the task more difficult. He glanced at Zoro, silently asking with his expression what they were supposed to do.

Zoro could see Luffy's curious gaze from the corner of his eye, but he made sure to keep his eyes carefully trained on Kuina's face. He stepped further into the room and nodded his head to acknowledge. With that done, he simply sat on one of the muted-colored mats that rested across from Kuina.

Mimicking his bodyguard, Luffy nodded and sat as well, this time not looking away from Kuina again.

Kuina watched the two, her expression unreadable but somehow foreboding. After a drawn-out, borderline uncomfortable moment, she straightened her back. "I will not keep you long." Her voice seemed abrupt in the heavy silence, and did not echo the way Luffy had expected it to in the empty room. She turned her attention to Luffy.

"This," she said, "in the Sacred Hall, is for tradition and to honor our ancestors. I have deliberated and know exactly what your quest will be. According to tradition, you have one last chance to change your mind; before you hear the task and the consequences of failure, I ask you, do you truly wish to do this? If you say yes, you are bound to all requirements and consequences. You cannot change your mind after you hear what I have to say, or even after you start the task. If you say no, there is no penalty, but what was discussed earlier will come about; Zoro will no longer be welcome among the tribesmen and Wadou will be left in this room, right now. Tomorrow, you will have to leave our territory as well, if you say no." She narrowed her eyes, staring at him intensely, her voice low and heavy with gravity. "What say you? Will you be participating in this quest, or do you wish to rescind? You have no time to consider; you will answer immediately. The Kurska will waste no time on the indecisive."

Luffy met her stare evenly, and said firmly, "Yes. I will participate."

Kuina's stare was so intent it was almost a glare, but she nodded. Turning her stare to Zoro, she continued in the same heavy voice. "You have been included in the meeting according to tradition. You as well have one chance to voice your objections. If you do not wish to be represented by this person after all, if you do not think him worthy of your trust or honor, then say so now. If you do not trust him, then the quest will be called off, and the same will happen as if he had said no. If you approve of his representation, then you are prohibited from offering him any advice or help after the task has been learned and until he returns, whether he succeeds or not. Remember, your pride and honor rest on this decision. It is not to be taken lightly, but you have no time for deliberation. Answer immediately, in the eyes of your ancestors and the Sacred Hall of our brethren the Lanshi, do you wish for this to continue? Yes or no."

Zoro watched Kuina carefully, his dark eyes narrowing a little. He knew that she was looking for any traces of hesitance or uncertainty in his face. She would find none of that in him, however, and he squared his broad shoulders, meeting her icy stare head on.

"Yes," he growled, almost defiantly.

She frowned in irritation at his response, but it was gone so swiftly that it almost seemed a trick of the light. "Very well."

Kuina turned back to Luffy, watching Zoro only out of the corner of her eye so she could gauge his expression. "You are allowed one full week, seven sun and moonrises, starting at dawn tomorrow for your quest. You will be led to the edge of the forest where you will spend the next week alone, but there will be no conversation. Everything must be conducted in silence, so if you wish to say your goodbyes, do so tonight. This is part of the tradition, and to ensure that you will be given no coded advice or help before you enter the forest."

There was a brief pause, and it took Luffy a moment to realize she was waiting for him to acknowledge that requirement. He nodded, but before he could say anything, she spoke again.

Kuina continued to stare at Luffy, but watch Zoro obliquely. This was the part she was interested in his reaction to. He seemed so certain of himself before, but even two years with foreigners could not lead him to forget the area she would speak of, or how difficult the task would be.

"There is an exceedingly rare flower that can be found only on Infinity Mountain, named so because it is so tall that it seems to rise forever. You will find your way to the mountain from the forest, and hike up the mountain until you find the scattered caves that sound of water echoing from their depths, but have none that you can see even if you walk inside for days. Inside one of these caves is an entrance to an underground cavern that you must follow for twenty-four hours straight until it rises abruptly and levels out. There, you will see a hidden forest and field with grass as tall as your chest.

"Somewhere in that field there will grow a small flower with three triangular petals, of the most beautiful blue color you will ever see in your life. You will retrieve the entire flower, including its roots, which you will not break but must clean entirely of dirt clumps, and you will bring it back alive, completely intact, and unwilted, to our camp. If you can present it to me before the sun rises on the eighth day, you will have completed your task."

As Kuina spoke, the swordsman's face faintly grew dark, and his jaw gave a subtle clench. "The Kurska have never asked an outsider to perform a task of this magnitude before," Zoro said lowly, careful to keep his tone neutral.

Kuina met Zoro's eyes with a poorly concealed smug, vindictive look. "And no outsider has had the audacity to demand so much from the chief's daughter before. Did you not hear his own words? He requested something challenging, so it is provided." She smiled coldly. "Are you doubting your trust so soon, Zoro? It has not even been five minutes; how will you ever last eight days?"

The swordsman didn't like the sound of her voice, neither the cold look in her eyes. "No Kurska has ever completed such a challenge before," Zoro reminded her. "He is only supposed to prove that he is capable of joining our clan."

"Perhaps the Kurska have become stronger since you left," she said coolly.

"Who has managed to find a Choola flower in _seven days?_" Zoro asked with a hard gaze, though he managed to keep his voice even.

Kuina did not look away. "We are not here to discuss anyone else; we are here to talk of what he needs to do."

Luffy looked between the two, feeling rather lost in the argument. "I don't understand," he said before it got any further from his comprehension. "It seems like it will be difficult, but why would seven days be a short time? I just need to find the mountain and get the flower, right?"

"Zoro is upset," Kuina said, with only the barest hint of scorn in her tone, "because you will need an incredible amount of luck. Infinity Mountain is several days away, and even when you find it, you will need to know exactly which cave to enter. There are many that seem similar, but only one harbors the flower. You will not know that you chose wrongly until after you walk twenty-four hours in one and do not find the field. The Choola flower is also a very delicate plant, which would be lucky to survive for twenty-four hours once taken from the ground. And it is difficult to find in the field."

Zoro had lapsed into a resigned sort of silence, and he gave Kuina a heavy stare. Difficult? More like impossible. He'd known that the task was going to be _difficult_ all right, that had been a given. Traditionally, potential clan members would be asked to climb a dangerously high mountain or engage in some act of warfare in behalf of the Kurska. But he hadn't expected Kuina to come up with such an unusually harsh trial for Luffy to accomplish.

_She wants Wadou, _he realized darkly_. And she's willing to forfeit his life for it._

The thought sickened him, but there wasn't anything left to do. He and Luffy had already agreed to the terms.

Luffy glanced between the two again, noting Zoro's serious expression and Kuina's coldly smug look. He felt as though something a little deeper was happening than he realized; like they were fighting not _over _him, but with him in the middle. Bewildered bait.

It didn't change his future, however, and certainly didn't bother him. He just found it odd, and decided to think on it more later, or ask Zoro, who looked as though Kuina had asked Luffy to pull the moon from the sky without even a ladder.

"I see," Luffy said, for lack of anything better. He paused a moment, thinking. "Is there anything else I can know ahead of time? Something that may be knowledge every Kurska knows but I don't, such as how to keep the Choola flower alive once I've picked it?"

"No," Kuina said with a shake of her head, watching him evenly. "I have already given you too much help. Normally, you would not know beforehand the extent of the danger in the task. Be thankful I am so kind."

Upon hearing this, Zoro's eyes narrowed. This wasn't any sort of kindness, as far as he was concerned. "Is there anything else you need to say?" he asked at length.

She nodded, glancing at Zoro with a mild expression, the cold smugness gone. "The consequences, of course." Kuina watched them both equally as she spoke unemotionally. "If you should bring back the flower, intact, alive, and within the time frame, Zoro will remain Kurska. He will have good standing, better than what he has now, and Wadou will be his to do with as he wishes, with no one able to challenge him for it short of my father the Chief, who initially gave it to him." There was only the slightest hint of bitterness in her voice at that. "You, Luffy, will become an honorary clansman, which grants you good favor in the eyes of the Kurska, and your friends will be granted sanctuary if they are ever in our territory while either of you remain clansmen in good standing."

Kuina paused, letting the words sink in before she continued. "If, however, you do _not _find the flower, if you lose it, if you bring it back dead or destroyed, or if you are outside of the time limit even by a minute, your friends will be escorted out of our territory and not allowed back in, Zoro will lose Wadou and not be allowed to challenge for it again. He will no longer be welcome back as Kurska and will also have to leave our land. And _you_ will be executed."

Luffy blinked in surprise. Executed? Everyone else would be denied reentry, but he was actually facing death, even if he managed to evade it for a week in unfamiliar land? That seemed rather... harsh. He did not look away from her eyes, though; he merely nodded and decided to ask Zoro about that later, as well.

As Kuina spoke, Zoro firmly clenched his jaw, as if willing himself not to say something completely disrespectful. The more he heard about this task, the less he liked it. How could he, as a bodyguard, allow Luffy to walk off into such a dangerous situation? There was only a marginal chance of success, at best.

Silence stretched out after her announcement, and Kuina just watched them both calmly. When they said nothing, she nodded. "That is all that need be said now." She turned to Luffy. "You should sleep. It's possible you won't get much out there, not knowing properly the dangers of the forest. As I said before, I recommend you do not go into the dawn with regrets; say your goodbyes tonight, while you are still allowed to speak. We will meet you in the morning, when there will be no words. You are dismissed, unless you have any questions."

"Ah," Luffy said, still feeling a little shocked by the consequences. "I don't have any." He paused, trying to get his mind back on task, and added politely, "Thank you." Even though the task seemed very difficult and it would not be surprising if he failed, he did not want to disrespect her at this point and risk more consequences added. Or worse, not even giving him the chance to succeed at all.

Zoro stood up, brushing his clothes off. "We'll be leaving, then," he said gruffly.

Kuina nodded, but did not bother to stand herself. She turned from them, regarding some candles near her and ignored them.

Luffy stood and, with a glance at Zoro, walked out of the building and back into the night air. It seemed strangely dark outside after how light it had been with all the candles, and he was somehow relieved to see that Kamakiri had disappeared. At least they could walk back to Laki's house without a guard watching their every word. He wondered if, despite the difficult task Kuina set him, she had ordered they be given a little time on their own that night. Even if Zoro could, conceivably, give him as much advice as he wanted before the morning when silence would be mandated.

"Well," he said lightly, feeling a little bemused. "At least _that's_ over with."

Zoro only frowned, his dark gaze staring straight ahead.

Luffy glanced at him sidelong, staying silent for a few steps. For some reason, he really just wanted to have a conversation with Zoro after such dire news, so he tried again. "I can't imagine," he mused thoughtfully, "there've ever been many honorary clansmen running around if all the tasks are so difficult. It's like applying to a very exclusive social club."

"This hasn't happened for two hundred years," Zoro admitted quietly. "It's rare."

Luffy nodded to himself. "_Very _exclusive," he said softly.

Zoro shrugged before turning to meet Luffy's gaze for the first time since Kuina told them the task. "It's not something that's taken lightly."

"I gathered that," Luffy said wryly, though he was happy that Zoro was finally looking at him. His pleasure showed in a sincere smile even as his voice softened slightly. "I'm lucky, then, that I'm given this chance."

"I would have abandoned my clan for you," Zoro said suddenly. "You didn't need to do this."

Luffy looked a little startled by something so sincere and sentimental coming from his usually stoic bodyguard. He blushed very lightly before he could stop himself, then wanted to look away out of embarrassment at his reaction, but felt that would only make it worse. He shook his head. "I wouldn't ask that of you. And then you would have lost Wadou, and that's really important to you. There's no reason you should have to lose it. Especially not on _my _account."

"I should have known this would happen when I agreed to be your bodyguard," Zoro muttered, bowing his head some.

Luffy could not help laughing shortly, amused. "That we would end up here, on another continent, and run into your former fiancée, who would challenge you in front of me, and I would agree to an ancient tradition that is almost never used anymore? Are you really that psychic?"

Zoro scratched his head some, looking a little embarrassed. "No. I'm not."

Shaking his head, Luffy stopped walking abruptly and put a hand up on Zoro's shoulder, smiling at him confidently. "You had no way of knowing. Neither of us did. Even if you knew ahead of time that we would come here, there are lots of reasons this may not have happened. Maybe we never got along, and I wouldn't care. Remember, you thought I would be a spoiled, annoying brat?"

Luffy considered that, shrugging lightly. "I guess maybe I am. I don't want anyone stealing the precious treasures of my friends." He paused, adding under his breath, "Especially not yours." He raised his voice back to normal speaking volume. "So... don't worry about it. This is good practice for the future Pirate King, right? And anyway, I'll just be going into a forest for a week. It'll be fine."

Zoro was quiet a moment, as if contemplating Luffy's words. "You know," he muttered, "you're brave enough to be a good king. That alone should be enough to let you into the clan."

Luffy smiled, feeling honestly flattered. "Thank you, Zoro," he said sincerely. "But they don't know me. Even if I am brave on my own and were myself around them, they would probably think it was an act."

"The Kurska have an eye for true bravery," Zoro reminded him simply.

"Then there's even less to worry about," Luffy said with total confidence. He paused, considering. "It's strange that I'm being tested on how good I am in unfamiliar territory, though, and not on my character. Is it because the Kurska are nomadic, and they have to be ready for anything, so an honorary clansman should be too?"

Zoro shrugged a little, resuming his slow walk. "I don't really know. It's just an old tradition. I guess they feel like a person's true character shows when he goes through something hard."

"Hmm." Luffy considered that and shrugged himself, falling in step at Zoro's side. He watched the houses they passed, most of the Lanshi inside with dinner or slowly preparing for sleep.

Although he wanted to see the others, it suddenly occurred to Luffy that when they reached Laki's, they would be surrounded by friends and noise. The night was beautiful, and Luffy wanted a chance to just relax in peace. For some reason, he also didn't want to lose possibly his last chance to be alone with Zoro. "Hey, we should stop somewhere else first where it's quieter," he said suddenly, looking over at Zoro with a smile. "Maybe the training grounds?"

Pausing, Zoro glanced at Luffy. He shrugged a little, as if it didn't really matter one way or the other to him. "That sounds okay." And with that, he turned and headed toward the empty training grounds.

Silence stretched while Luffy followed, though it wasn't awkward. Distracted by the stars, Luffy noticed a certain constellation. He smiled and chuckled suddenly, feeling fond and warm and not afraid like he probably should be considering the task looming before him.

"The Warrior Constellation," Luffy said softly, pointing while he walked. "Do you remember? From the desert?"

"Yeah," Zoro replied gruffly, though he had a slight grin. "I remember. I never really got the hang of all that star stuff."

"It's not all that hard," Luffy said, shrugging one shoulder with a smile. They walked up the hill leading to the training grounds, trees appearing around them before blocking the view of the village behind them. "It's mostly another way to tell stories. And to navigate."

"You can't navigate any better than I can," Zoro pointedly reminded him.

Luffy laughed. "That's because I only listen to the stories. I don't really know how you use them to navigate, just that people do. Shanks said you can figure out where you are even lost at sea with no compass or map if you know what to look for in the stars." A pause, and another chuckle. "I'd have to look for a big arrow pointing down to wherever I'm going... that'd be the only thing that would help _me." _

Zoro snorted. "Yeah, most of the Kurska use the stars to navigate," he said quietly.

"Really?" Luffy grinned trickily as they arrived at the empty training grounds. "But you can't use them either, huh?" He snickered. "We don't make a very good pirate and nomad combination."

"No, we don't," Zoro agreed. "We make a dangerous one."

"Only to ourselves," Luffy said with a laugh.

"And to the people with us," the swordsman added.

Luffy considered that for a moment, dropping onto the ground to lean back and idly watch the stars peeking between the circle of trees. "I don't know... Usopp, Nami, Sanji, they seem pretty fine, don't they? We just lean on them when we need it, and they lean on us when _they _need it... It works out in the end. Where's the danger in that?" He sounded honestly curious.

Snorting a little, Zoro paused beneath the long, willowy branches of a tree. He laughed a little in spite of himself. "I know."

Watching the stars made him think about navigation, and getting lost. Luffy laughed suddenly. "I thought it was bad enough that one time, I got lost in my own palace for a whole day. But I can't beat you at wandering off a whole continent and not making it back."

"Hey," the swordsman said suddenly. "It's actually pretty easy to leave your continent if you just keep walking for long enough." Snorting, he looked over at Luffy. "You actually got lost in your own home, though?"

"Did you _walk _around Anchor?" Luffy asked with amused indignation. "The hallways all look the same! And it just gets worse the lower you go, because then it's out of view. One time, I tried to escape Coby by going through some hidden passages into the servant quarters and I couldn't get back out. And it's not like there's windows down there to tell me what area I'm in." He paused, reminiscing. "I thought I was gonna die!"

Zoro suddenly laughed, settling down onto a soft blanket of grass. "I think it'd be pretty hard to die in a palace. Someone would have gone after you eventually."

"There are stories, though!" Luffy was warming to the topic and leaned toward Zoro conspiratorially. "I heard someone killed themselves down there, and his ghost haunts the palace forever now. At night, you can hear the thumping of his shoes as he forever replays the last day of his life. I could've been led astray... or... Or eaten by a monster. Or something."

Shaking his head lightly, Zoro looked at the prince incredulously. "You don't believe in ghosts, do you?"

Luffy laughed. "Don't you?"

Leaning back against the tree, Zoro snorted. "Of course not."

Zoro's stalwart response only amused Luffy further. "Why not? If someone has a strong enough desire or dream but dies early, is it so strange to think their willpower lingers on?"

"I don't know about spirits, or ghosts, or God or whatever," Zoro said simply. "I guess it's possible, but I won't believe it until I see it."

"Maybe you need to believe in order to see," Luffy said serenely with a little smile.

"Then it's just your eyes playing tricks on you," Zoro said with a soft frown.

Shrugging, Luffy's smile slowly faded. "I don't know about God either, and I don't really care. But ghosts are something else; they're just people, who stayed even though they died. I've never seen one, don't know if I ever will... but I guess I don't really need to see to believe it. Maybe it's more that I don't _dis_believe in ghosts."

Luffy paused, thoughtful, and looked over with dark eyes. "Hasn't there ever been anything in your life you couldn't explain or didn't expect? You've never just had to believe in something or someone even though you don't know for sure what will happen; don't have anything to go by but your instinct and trust?"

Zoro looked over at Luffy with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I guess there're some things I can't really explain."

"Then it's settled." Luffy grinned, watching Zoro as he said playfully. "Just to be sure, whenever I die, I'll stay around as a ghost and haunt you until you see me. I bet I could open your eyes, no matter how stubborn you want to be."

"Maybe," Zoro said with a tiny smirk. "But I've just about decided that you're a rare breed, Luffy."

"Just about?" Luffy echoed, laughing again. "Not quite sure yet?"

"Well... I guess we'll see how you handle this task," Zoro said, his tone turning serious. "If you can earn a place with the Kurska, then there's no doubt that you can do anything you put your mind to."

"Prepare to call me an official rare breed then," Luffy said with a confident grin. "A week from now, you won't have any doubts left."

Zoro gave a tiny grin. "I'll hold you to that."

"Don't worry! Even after I kick that forest's ass, I'll still have plenty of tricks up my sleeve!" He grinned widely, his eyes sparking mischievously.

Zoro almost laughed, but he kept a straight face. "Oh, really?"

Instead of answering, Luffy's grin just grew wickedly. He didn't break eye contact, but just suddenly jumped at Zoro, his arms splayed out like a cat pouncing. Grabbing Zoro by the shoulders, he pushed him on his back and tried to pin him. "Bet I can hold you down," he teased.

Actually thrown off guard, Zoro raised his eyebrows with surprise. "Hey-!" he said suddenly, his voice colored with a faint laugh. "What're you doing?"

"I'm surprising you," Luffy said rather smugly.

Reaching up and gripping Luffy's shoulders, Zoro tried to gain the upper hand. "Maybe I've got a few surprises of my own," he said gruffly.

"I doubt it," Luffy teased, and tensed in case Zoro tried to flip him. He knew Zoro would win in strength, but maybe if he accounted for it, he could still win.

Zoro did try to flip him, but it was in an almost playful way, just enough to try and get the rubberman off of him. "You can't overpower a bodyguard," he warned. "Especially your own."

"What am I doing now, then?" Luffy asked, laughing. He braced his knees on either side of Zoro's thighs for better stability.

"Preparing to be defeated," Zoro shot back, roughly grabbing Luffy's shoulders.

Before he realized it, they had taken to rolling across the moist grass together, bits of soil flying up in the air when Zoro's boot scraped into the ground. Between their amused snorts, breathless jibes and nudging elbows and knees, they waged a small war of who could keep this strange game going on the longest. It all seemed so ridiculous and _childish_ to the swordsman, yet it was exhilarating because Zoro didn't think he'd ever just wrestled with someone for _fun_, not even as a boy.

It was like coming alive again, but not in the way the heat of battle or the stains of spilled blood were. This wasn't necessarily purer, but it was lighter and happier.

Luffy didn't think he had ever seen Zoro look so carefree and happy, and that alone made it impossible for him to stop grinning. They rolled near a tree, Luffy's back and Zoro's arm nearly getting pinned. The air was warm but it felt cool against the sweat forming on their skin. Someone pushed against the ground and the momentum pulled them closer to the center of the clearing. One would triumph, pinning the other, only to be usurped and thrown on his back.

Between the exertion and the laughter, Luffy felt his heart pounding and could barely draw a full breath. He never expected to get Zoro to actually play around with him, but now he could think of nothing he'd rather do with his time.

Hearing him laugh so happily made something in his stomach leap and squirm, and if he weren't so distracted with trying to pin Zoro down, he may have noticed how the feeling only intensified each time his fingers brushed bare skin, or he had a clearer view of Zoro's unguarded eyes.

* * *

**[...]**

* * *

Author's note: Are you going to kill me when I tell you that's as far as we had written? …Yes, I thought you might. The fact that it leaves off in such an evil spot was part of the reason I think we didn't post for a long time, thinking MAYBE we'd end up writing more, MAYBE we'd finish this scene…

Unfortunately, while I thought we had notes somewhere saying how the story was supposed to end, I can't find them. If I find them in the future I'll post it as the last chapter. For now, if you want you can go to the next chapter – which begins the (also unfinished) 'epilogue'/sequel we for some reason started writing parallel to this.

Fair warning: it's probably not safe for work.


	21. Chapter 21

Happily (and sometimes Hornily) Ever After  
Being the epilogue and happy-go-lucky life of Luffy and Zoro after _Breath _is finished.  
An examination of their relationship in several parts.  
As told to Quatrina Raberba and Karaleyn.

originally written 3/3/06

* * *

**The Abandoned Island**

* * *

Somewhere in the Grand Line, there exists an island known widely for the level of comfort it offers to world-weary travelers. Lots of shops for Nami and Usopp, and bathing houses filled with luscious ladies for Sanji, all sorts of interesting festivals and sights and restaurants with decadent food. Luffy insisted on an adventure at a nearby deserted island, but no one would listen. So, after some pouting, he decided to go on his own... and Zoro accompanied him. When they arrived, they realized they had the island entirely to themselves. And, come on. Who could give up _that _sort of a chance?

This is a chronicle of that which ensued.

* * *

"Two hundred and fifty..."

A salty breeze had picked up from the direction of the seashore, carrying with it only the sounds of the gently roaring waves of the ocean. Pristine and practically untouched, white sand seemed to stretch for miles on either side. Countless trees lined the edge of the beach, their lush leaves quivering in the wind. The wooded area was fairly silent, however, save for the steady counting that trailed from one of the more solid trees.

"Two hundred and fifty one..."

Muscles taut and feet dangling from the ground, Roronoa Zoro lifted his chin up past the branch that his calloused hands were tightly holding on to. Holding the position long enough to feel a satisfying burning in his body, he lowered himself down only to pull himself back up again. "Two hundred and fifty two..."

Although he had been initially opposed to the idea of leaving the neighboring luxurious island in favor of exploring the less inhabited one, he had felt compelled to follow his captain when none of the other crewmembers wanted to tear themselves away from their easy rest. Despite having to camp out on the beach instead of being able to relax in some hotel, however, Zoro was beginning to decide that coming here was the wiser choice.

"Two hundred and fifty three..."

It was much easier to train without being distracted.

A stirring in the leaves behind him went unnoticed, passed off as the wind rustling a particularly lush plant. Footsteps padded across the sand nearly silently, sandals long ago kicked off in favor of the luxurious feel of sand between the toes. Fancying himself a predator watching his prey, Luffy grinned to himself as he snuck forward and crouched behind a tree to Zoro's right.

The light of the day was slowly fading, casting the sea in tones of deep blue reflecting the crimson and pastel sky above. Clouds moved lazily in the distance, colored brighter than they had any right to be, the sun an amazing backwash to it all. But Luffy was not focusing on the beauty of the approaching sunset; instead, his gaze was rather more caught by the straining muscles and sheen of sweat lining the body of his first mate.

Zoro gleamed in his own way, like a magnet that attracted Luffy's attention no matter where he was or what he was doing. Somehow, the sight of any part of Zoro's bare body with a layer of moisture—be it sweat or water or whatever—always made Luffy's stomach clench and twist in a warm, pleasant way. Just like it did the first time he realized exactly how great Zoro looked with nothing but the moonlight clothing him.

Grinning in wicked mischief, Luffy rushed forward, proud of how silent he managed to be. Just as Zoro was at the lower point of his pull ups, he suddenly pounced from behind. Arms wrapped securely around Zoro's torso, with one hand splayed across the upper waistband of his pants, Luffy grinned against the side of the swordsman's ribs and pretended to bite him.

"Grar!" he breathed into his skin, mirth intermingling with a mock-growl. "You're dead!"

Zoro's breath immediately hitched in the back of his throat, his chest locking up upon feeling Luffy's teeth playfully nip at his side. Hands preoccupied with keeping him up from the ground, the swordsman was unable to push the rubber man away.

"L-Luffy!" he gasped, unnerved at how quietly he had snuck up from behind.

Luffy's grin grew wider and he bit him again a little harder, though the pressure still threatened to tickle more than hurt. "You're still dead! What if I were a tiger on the prowl? You're too open when you train." He sounded almost playful and definitely amused, looking up through ruffled black bangs as best he could at Zoro's expression. But he didn't bother to move away, keeping his arms in a firm semi-hug.

Flushing deeply now, Zoro took in another sharp, quivering breath as Luffy bit down a little harder. Still, he kept his composure enough to snort, "Too open when I train? If you were a real tiger, _you'd_ be dead."

Luffy chuckled deeply against his skin. "Not if I'm a _Luffy-_tiger, apparently. Luffy-tigers are a rare breed that can sneak up on Zoros in their natural habitat of training, sleeping, and trying to act grouchy and mean but mostly looking cuddly."

"I'm not cuddly," grumbled Zoro, but he couldn't fight back the shiver that raced up his spine.

Luffy's grin widened a shade, his expression quite a bit more teasing. "Says you, but you're hardly in the position to know. I can tell you right now that I'm quite comfortable like this. And only someone who's cuddly could be fun to hug when he's trying to train."

"I'm not cuddly," Zoro said again, more firm this time. "That's something you'd say about a stuffed toy or a dog."

"What would you rather be?" Luffy asked. He tightened his grip and shifted just a bit so he could see his expression better.

"I dunno," the swordsman muttered, his eyes suddenly averting as Luffy mischievously peered at him.

Chuckling, Luffy pulled away a bit as he finally took a bit of pity on the swordsman. "Lemme know when you know. We'll have to do some tests to make sure you're what you claim to be." He absently let his splayed hand shift above the waistband a bit, sprawled lightly across Zoro's muscular stomach. "Want help training? You don't have your weights but I could replace them for awhile..."

Lips pressing firmly into a thin line, Zoro glanced back at Luffy with an expression of feigned irritation. "I think it's impossible to train like this," he remarked, and he abruptly let go of the branch, his weight sinking back into Luffy's arms.

"Hey-!" Surprised, Luffy stumbled back a few steps with an armful of Zoro, trying to support his weight while finding his own balance. He tripped over a large conch shell angled just wrong in the sand and fell backwards almost immediately, laughing breathlessly the whole while.

Landing on top of him with a muffled "oomph," the back of Zoro's head landed against Luffy's shoulder, an arm instinctively moving over where his captain had a hold of him.

Luffy's laughter vibrated through them both as he stared up at the sky, not bothering to shift at all. "You're lucky I'm rubber," he said, "or that would've been painful for both of us."

Zoro only snorted. "It would have been your fault for teasing me."

"It could be worse," Luffy said, laughter increasing.

"A lot worse," admitted Zoro, his gaze staring up through the canopy of leaves and branches.

Luffy grinned, his laughter eventually fading to silence. He unconsciously rubbed his thumb lightly against Zoro's stomach, idly enjoying the texture of his sweaty skin. "I don't get why everyone wanted to stay at that other place," he said abruptly, confused. "It's way better over here." He paused for only half a heartbeat, not long enough for Zoro to react but enough for brief silence to follow his remark. "Are you mad you're not there?"

Shifting ever so slightly at the touch, Zoro closed his eyes for a moment. "Why would I be mad?"

Luffy shrugged, the sand feeling weird against his bare shoulders peeking out of his shirt. "Maybe you wanted a nice bed instead of a hammock or sleeping bag for once?"

"I dunno." Zoro smirked a little. "You're pretty comfortable as is."

Luffy smiled to the sky. "Am I cuddly too?" he asked teasingly.

"I'd use a different word."

Raising his eyebrows, Luffy looked down at the green mop of Zoro's hair. "Really?" he asked, curious. "What?"

Zoro shifted again. "...I don't know what word it'd be. Just something different."

"Hmm." Luffy thought about it seriously for a moment. "Probably rubber."

"...not quite what I was thinking, but I guess that works." Zoro briefly paused, trying to squirm out of Luffy's grasp. "Here, lemme get off of you."

"Stingy," Luffy laughed, but after a moment he loosened his grip in compliance.

"I thought you said I was cuddly," muttered Zoro, his body moving to rest beside his captain in the sand.

"You _are," _Luffy insisted, his body automatically gravitating toward Zoro as he turned onto his side. With one arm against the sand and hand propping his head up, he watched him calmly as night slowly progressed around them.

"I think I'm rather generous, considering I agreed to come to this boring place with you," Zoro said gruffly as he met the other man's gaze.

Luffy paused, and abruptly grinned so wide he closed his eyes. "I guess that's true."

Upon seeing Luffy smile, Zoro's lips vaguely quirked upward. "But, I'll have to find something else to do to prove otherwise if you seriously think I'm stingy."

"Oh?" Luffy snickered, his tone playful even as his eyes remained closed and smile wide. "Yes, sensei, show me more of your generosity. I missed it the first time."

Zoro looked at him oddly. "What the hell are you babbling about?" he asked, a tinge of laughter coloring his voice as he scooted a little closer to Luffy. "I ain't your sensei."

Luffy peeked an eye open, a glint of a dark eye reflecting the smile on his mouth. "You sure about that?"

"Positive. You're the captain. It wouldn't do any good for your first mate to be your sensei."

"But it's my first time of being captain. Maybe I got confused." Light laughter accompanied his words.

"Or maybe you're playing dumb." Zoro watched Luffy for a moment, a fond smile gracing his features.

"Some people," Luffy chuckled, "would say it's not 'playing' at all."

"I wouldn't be surprised," said Zoro, his eyes drifting to a close. "Though I'd say you're a pretty playful person."

Luffy grinned, strangely pleased. "What's the point of a boring, serious life? We're alive so we can laugh and run and have adventures! Otherwise we may as well have never drawn breath in the first place."

Zoro cracked an eye open at this sudden mini-lecture. "Oi, oi, I never said it was a bad thing."

Luffy blinked, a little startled. "What? Did I say you did?" He looked at him curiously, tilting his head slightly. "Hey Zoro, how come you never touch me first?"

Slightly taken aback, both of Zoro's eyes suddenly opened. "What are you talking about?"

Watching him calmly, Luffy seemed to consider his own question almost as much as Zoro's judging by his answer. "I guess you do sometimes, but usually I reach for you first. I don't mind or anything, but you said you're not used to being close to people. And you used to get really tense even if I was just putting a hand on you or sorta nearby. So then I thought, wouldn't you be more comfortable touching other people first instead of them coming at you? But it doesn't seem to work that way." He paused, his gaze intensifying in curiosity. "So... Why is that? Oh, but I bet I feel weird 'cause I'm rubber."

Frowning some as Luffy spoke, Zoro lightly shook his head. "That's not it. You don't feel weird. I just..." He trailed off some, his eyes narrowing and averting as he slipped into a moment of thought. "...hmm, it's difficult to explain."

Luffy continued to watch him with open, pure curiosity his only expression. He wanted to know the answer, of course, but nothing in his body language suggested he would push it if Zoro would rather not talk about it.

Sensing Luffy's gaze on him, Zoro lightly scratched the back of his head. "...I think... I just feel like it, you know... leaves me open..." He stopped, eyebrows furrowing. "...no, I don't know..."

"Oh," Luffy said, with the air of someone rediscovering a fairly significant piece of a puzzle. He dropped his head to the ground and flopped onto his back to get more comfortable, staring at the sky again. "Is it bad to be open like that once in awhile?" His tone was purely musing with no undertone or ulterior motive to it at all.

Zoro didn't answer him, his eyes moving back toward his captain. He paused for a long moment before suddenly reaching out, his hand awkwardly settling onto Luffy's arm.

Luffy tilted his head toward him and just smiled, soft and pleased and encouraging all at once. He said no words aloud, but something about the expression in his eyes and body language said he would always welcome whatever Zoro wanted, whether he was feeling 'closed,' 'open,' or anything else.

Watching Luffy carefully, Zoro slowly moved his hand across the other man's arm and over onto his chest. It rested there for a moment, and Zoro was vaguely surprised to faintly feel his heart calmly beating against his ribcage.

The smile remaining but widening, Luffy's heart sped up half a beat the moment he realized Zoro's hand was resting even briefly instead of moving on or away. He said nothing, not wanting to break the moment, and he couldn't bring himself to touch Zoro back, as if it would break the spell.

Sensing Luffy's pulse pound a little faster, Zoro kept his eyes carefully on Luffy's face. Though his hand rested in place, the swordsman slowly scooted even closer to where his body was pressing against the other man. It was difficult to read his carefully concealed emotions, save for occasional, subtle gestures, such as how he slightly licked his lips from time to time.

It was different when he wasn't initiating it. Luffy's eyes widened slightly when Zoro shifted closer, and his heart pounded even faster. Was that why Zoro used to be so flustered when he suddenly moved close to him? He had no idea what would happen next because he wasn't the one making all the decisions. It felt good either way, but he liked this way right now since it was so different.

Movement caught his eye and he found himself watching Zoro's lips for the occasional peek of a tongue, as if every time it happened he got a glimpse into the swordsman's uncertainty. For some reason, between the body heat right next to him and the hand on his chest and the lips, Luffy felt a light blush appear on his cheeks, and the fact that he blushed almost made him want to blush more.

Pausing as he noticed the deep flush that was coloring Luffy's face, Zoro watched for a moment before he slowly pressed his leg against the other man's, his face fitting against the side of Luffy's neck as his lips ghosted over the exposed skin there.

Luffy's eyes widened even more and his heart jumped faster. His breath hitched at the light feel of lips at his neck and he unconsciously tilted his head to give better access. Just _barely_ keeping himself from making a noise, it was getting harder to lie still without reaching back. But something stopped him, made him feel like Zoro deserved more time to explore on his own before he should get interrupted.

Taking advantage of the tilted head, the swordsman moved his lips a little higher, warm breath puffing against Luffy's ear. Slowly, Zoro's calloused hand trailed down Luffy's chest, stopping at his firm abdominal muscles. His own pulse was beating a little faster than maybe he would have liked, and he wondered if Luffy could feel it because of the close proximity between them.

Drawing in a shaky breath at the warmth near his ear, Luffy let it out in a soft hiss that contained the faintest hint of his voice when the hand wandered to his stomach. His heart was fast enough that it was all he could pay attention to, but he thought distractedly that he felt a counter-beat to his own. He couldn't think on it much, with the sensation of Zoro so near him and the random, delirious thought racing through his mind that the swordsman must have been right; he _couldn't_ feel weird like rubber if he wasn't pulling away.

"You're sitting there all stiff," Zoro murmured gruffly in his ear. "Something wrong?"

"No," Luffy said, trying to ignore how it sounded mildly strangled, and without even thinking about it he jerked his hand up to place on top of Zoro's on his stomach. He tilted his head slightly toward the warmth near his ear, his free hand reaching over to trail lightly up Zoro's cheek.

Their breath intermingling, the swordsman lightly tilted his head into the touch, his eyes closing for a moment. Though the air was starting to get a little chilly, the body heat they were both radiating seemed to make up for it as they pressed tightly against one another. Zoro wasn't entirely sure who was doing what at that point, but before he knew it, their lips were suddenly pressed against one another.

Fingers tightened on Zoro's hand, and somehow it became more than just lips pressed against each other. An outlet for feelings too hard to convey with words, far easier to show through actions and the almost desperate way Luffy leaned into him. Eyes sliding closed, Luffy hardly even realized he made a soft noise, with want, hope, happiness and hunger all combined in a single unconscious breath. His hand moved up, tangling in Zoro's hair, pulling him closer even though he was already far closer than he had ever been before.

Allowing himself to be pulled against Luffy, Zoro briefly pulled away long enough to get a small breath of air before their lips eagerly met again. A sharp shiver ran through his body as he felt the other man's hand roaming through his hair. His heart was pounding so hard that he could barely hear the way their clothes rustled as their bodies pushed against one another. Slowly, almost instinctively, Zoro's legs tangled themselves with Luffy's.

Dropping Zoro's hand, Luffy let his own fall between them, running his fingers across the swordsman's chest, reveling in the pounding of his heart and following the progress of his scar from upper chest all the way across to his hip. There, he also found a place to grip and pulled him closer again, pulling back for another deep breath of the cooling air.

He had never felt so alive in his life, his heart pounding a staccato beat that rushed blood throughout his body, his mind jumping from incoherence to fixating on little things here and there. The sand against his ear and the feel of Zoro's legs tangled with his own. A heartbeat resounding under his fingers and warm breath against his skin.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Luffy made another strangled noise and leaned forward, this time kissing across Zoro's face, not caring where they fell. A cheekbone, a temple, the side of his mouth and the edge of his jaw. His fingers in Zoro's hair shifted from pulling to resting firmly, enjoying the feel of the soft spikes tickling his palm.

Face blushing lightly, Zoro gave the tiniest of moans as Luffy peppered him with kisses. His breathing was starting to come in soft pants as he pressed against the other man's body, his own flushed lips brushing roughly against Luffy's forehead, his nose, then his jaw in a failed attempt to capture his mouth.

Smiling lightly against his skin, Luffy shifted so their lips could touch again, breath heated and short as he concentrated on kissing and not breathing. Someone moved in just the right away and Luffy suddenly moaned into the mouth covering his when Zoro's thigh rubbed against his, their clothing providing texture and friction when he wasn't expecting it. His fingers tightened on Zoro's hip, his leg sliding against the sand unconsciously.

Feeling the gentle pressure against his hip, Zoro's breath hitched as he felt Luffy's fingers softly catch against the waistline of his pants. Any sound that he uttered was muffled by the other man's mouth, their warm tongues curiously exploring one another. Shifting again, his thigh rubbed a little harder against Luffy's, a calloused hand grabbing a fistful of the captain's red shirt in a fit of flaring passion.

Pulling on the shirt shifted their positions just enough that Zoro's thigh pressed briefly against the other man's groin, causing Luffy to jolt from the kiss with a strangled gasp that soon became a breathy groan. Squeezing his eyes shut, he took a moment to pant heavily, his forehead leaning against his first mate's as he dug his hand into his hip, fingers dipping just beneath the fabric to play across his hipbone.

Their heavy breathing intermingling, Zoro gave a sudden shiver as Luffy's hand teasingly slipped into his pants. Though the other man's eyes were closed, Zoro's were dazed and half open as he studied the former prince's strong features, noting the faint sheen of moisture that was forming upon his brow. Swallowing hard, he was unprepared at how his heart seemed to swell and throb with the undying loyalty that he felt toward this man, how his stomach fluttered excitedly as how their bodies fit together.

"...captain," he faintly breathed.

Feeling a shiver race up his spine at the whisper, Luffy opened his eyes just enough for a glint to be seen between eyelashes. Fingers slipping through Zoro's hair, he trailed his hand down to rest gently splayed across his temple and cheek. He leaned forward, their lips lightly brushing as he smiled and silently mouthed something back, the words unintelligible even to him. Eyes slipping closed again, he tilted his head to run his tongue lightly along the corner of the swordsman's mouth, his knee shifting forward to press his thigh between Zoro's.

Feeling Luffy push against his groin, Zoro's fingers abruptly tightened their hold against the captain's shirt, his heels digging deeply into the white sand. A long, low moan left the back of his throat as his lips parted and gave Luffy's tongue permission to enter.

A smile curling his lips, Luffy leaned against him, causing their thighs to press harder against each other. Loving the noises muffled between them, he slipped his tongue between the other man's lips to tangle with and explore every inch he could find. His shirt bunched against his back and it should have been painful, but all it did was remind him that Zoro was shirtless and he was not. Unthinkingly, he dove his fingers deeper beneath Zoro's pants to relish in the heat of his skin trapped beneath the fabric.

Back sharply arching, a choked groan emitted from the depth of Zoro's throat as his heels dug harder into the sand. His chest was beginning to expand with breath and excitement as he pulled away long enough to heavily pant for air. But their separation didn't last long, their lips pushing harder and hungrier against one another, Zoro's calloused hands struggling to finally remove the shirt from Luffy's shoulders.

Without parting their lips, Luffy stretched his back away from Zoro to give him easier access to the shirt. Between gasps for air and deep, sucking kisses, Luffy managed to mumble, "The - buttons..."

Luffy already knew the shirt was a terrible one to pull over his head and he didn't want to have to wait while he untangled himself from it before he could return to sharing breath and moans with his first mate. His own hands he only vaguely noticed were running haphazardly across all the skin he could find, exploring the swordsman's scarred chest, shoulders, back, and the dip right where his pants began.

With slightly unsteady hands, Zoro fumbled with each golden button that held the rubber man's shirt together, his fingers moving a little faster as Luffy caressed the swordsman's body encouragingly. Within moments, the last stronghold had been freed, and the red vest hung open, exposing Luffy's well-toned chest and abdominal muscles.

Pulling away to tug his shirt the rest of the way off, Luffy uncaringly tossed it to the side to land somewhere between them and where his hat was weighted to the beach by his sandals. Chest bare to the air, he shivered slightly at the feel of his sweat chilled by the breeze. Looking over at Zoro, a strange expression stole over his face moments before he wedged his knees firmly against the sand and shoved the other man onto his back. He followed after him, straddling his hips and grinning rather wickedly as he leaned down to whisper playfully against warm lips, "You're dead... again."

Feeling Luffy's weight settle on top of him, Zoro swallowed hard as he gazed into the other man's eyes. "Guess I let my guard-" he breathed lowly, his words dying off for a moment as their lips roughly brushed against one another. "...down..."

The grin and tone Luffy responded with were rather smug. Settling his weight a little more firmly against him, their cheeks brushed as Luffy murmured into Zoro's ear, "I do that to you sometimes." Tilting his head, he kissed along his jaw and neck, his eyelashes briefly brushing the other man's ear before he moved lower, the sweep of lips turning into the occasional open-mouthed kiss and brush of teeth to skin.

Zoro's breath caught in his throat again as his fingers dug into Luffy's bare back. Breathing the other man's name, he pressed up against him, moaning faintly in his ear.

Encouraged, Luffy nipped at his shoulder briefly before turning his attention even further downward. The jagged scar crossing Zoro's torso gleamed in the pale light and Luffy gently kissed the upper edge. Softly, he followed the scar down, kissing and licking and occasionally sucking, his mouth gentle and loving.

Somewhere in his mind he knew this was what he had wanted to do since the first moment he saw it, what he wanted to do to the scars he knew covered Zoro's back as well. Introduce tenderness to the mementos of such relentless strength, and as he passed along Zoro's ribs, he realized he was whispering his name against his skin. Nothing else, because no other word in all the languages of the world mattered at that moment. His hands rested loosely at the swordsman's sides, as if to hold him still or maybe to give himself an anchor.

A calloused hand moving up into Luffy's dark hair, Zoro panted softly as Luffy seemed to blanket every old wound with heavy kisses. His other arm moved down the captain's back, and his fingers dipped underneath the waistline of his shorts. Though his mind practically reeled with desire, a part of him couldn't help but reflect back, looking at how far they had come since their days out in the desert, on the sea, and that first, clumsy kiss they had shared.

Reaching the end of the scar, Luffy paused with his hands curled lightly around Zoro's ribs. He looked up, eyes half-closed at the feel of hands on his skin and tangled in his hair.

"Zoro..." His voice was soft, something faintly pleading hovering in the tone. He wanted... something. He had no idea what it was, but he knew he wanted it, or at least wanted the swordsman to understand and agree, and maybe even know how to get it.

Zoro watched him for a moment, a strange emotion burning in his charcoal colored eyes. "I know," he murmured softly, his hand moving down from the other man's back and toward the front zipper of his shorts.

Accepting the words with a grateful half-smile, Luffy twisted slightly to give him better access, trusting him to have at least some idea of what he was doing. Splaying his hands across Zoro's chest, he leaned down to kiss him on the sternum and busied himself with slowly exploring his torso with his mouth and fingers.

Quietly unbuttoning Luffy's pants, Zoro moved to unzip them with slightly quivering breath, pausing only when his captain kissed at a particularly sensitive spot. In truth, he only half knew what he was doing. Traces of instinct and raw desire seemed to be fueling his movements at this point, the feel of Luffy's body over his own enticing them both in a way that nothing else really could.

Shivering at the brief pause, Luffy suddenly shifted down to feel more pressure. Accidentally catching Zoro's hand between their bodies, he let out a startled moan that he buried in the swordsman's shoulder halfway through. His fingers curled spasmodically, one hovering between a nipple and the scar and the other tensing near Zoro's waistline. His thoughts whirled confusingly, and for a moment he couldn't think properly to move.

Lightly startled himself, Zoro's gaze snapped toward where Luffy's face was pressed against his broad shoulder. "-are you okay?"

"Not if you _stop," _Luffy whispered harshly into his skin then realized how it sounded.

Lightly kissing the juncture of Zoro's neck and shoulder as an apology, he moved his upper body away enough to angle his hips better and pressed forward again, reveling in the friction and pressure against the growing ache in his groin. He squeezed his eyes shut, face flushed and arms trembling where he propped them against the swordsman, and didn't even notice when he moaned again.

Grunting softly as Luffy eagerly pressed against him, Zoro managed to get the shorts past his hips. He couldn't get them down much farther than that since the captain was straddling him. His pulse had raced beyond his control as he tried anyway, mind foggy with how close they both were, how all he could see, touch and smell was Luffy.

Finally realizing what Zoro was trying to do, Luffy shook his head slightly to regain his thoughts and pulled away to clumsily kick the shorts off. They got caught on one foot but eventually he was free, completely nude as he hovered over the swordsman with an affectionate smile. His dark eyes were intense as they trailed down Zoro's body from his new vantage point, stopping at his pants while he thought distractedly that they really needed to go.

Eyes widening slightly, Zoro's gaze roamed over Luffy's moist body for a moment before looking up at the other man's eyes again. As soon as the shorts had been discarded off into the sand, it seemed as if the magnitude of what was going on had become apparent. His face became pale, the blood rushing to the lower regions of his body.

"...Luffy," he breathed, licking his lips some, though it was difficult to tell if it was out of anticipation or nervousness.

Not noticing the significance of the moment, or maybe just ignoring it, Luffy lowered himself until their bare chests were flush with each other and his arousal was caught between them. He searched out Zoro's mouth, his tongue peeking out of his open mouth before their lips even met this time. Slowly but thoroughly, they kissed deeper than they had before, bits of noises here and there half-muffled before either even knew who made it. Luffy's hands trailed lightly down Zoro's sides to rest at his waistline where he hooked his thumbs beneath and tried to tug the pants down.

Zoro reached down, undoing a button that helped hold them in place. Immediately, the pants began to slide down as Luffy pulled on them. Swallowing hard, the swordsman could barely feel the chill against his hips and thighs, his mind whirling as their kisses grew almost frantic.

Unwilling to pull away from kissing, Luffy tugged Zoro's pants down as far as he could with his hands, then brought one leg up and tried to push them down more with his toes, his legs flush against Zoro's and foot ticklingly brushing against his outer thigh and calf on the way down. The pants caught around one ankle and one knee anyway, so he switched to shoving down with his other foot until they could be kicked in a pile to the side. The only clothing that separated them now was the thin layer of Zoro's underwear, and Luffy wasted no time in slipping his hands beneath to tug on them as well.

As soon as the underwear slipped off, Zoro's broad arms wrapped tightly around Luffy's shoulder blades. There they were, flesh against flesh, the swordsman heavily panting, he felt an intoxicating energy burn between them. Without even thinking anymore, he moaned Luffy's name into his mouth, shifting against the sand and beneath the other man's body.

Mildly startled by the grip but unable to think on it clearly, Luffy groaned at the contact and his name moaned from cherished lips, felt his heart beating so violently it must be vibrating through Zoro right into the sand. He could not resist angling his hips against Zoro's, moving to increase the contact and pressure at the same time. His fingers found their way to Zoro's hair, both hands tangling lightly in the short strands, breathless moans, half-formed words, and Zoro's name falling from his lips each time he managed to breathe.

Back arching, Zoro gave a quivering, breathy moan as Luffy pushed against him. His heels were digging into the sand again, deeper now as he felt Luffy's pulse pound against his own chest. Relishing in the feel of Luffy's slick fingers running through his moist hair, Zoro couldn't help but kiss him harder, hungrier, again and again, as he pushed his hips up against Luffy's thighs.

The hunger Luffy could feel from Zoro was enough on its own to make him moan almost constantly, his fingers convulsively pressing into the other's scalp. Groaning from deep in his throat as Zoro pushed his hips up, Luffy squeezed his eyes shut, feeling like he was going into sensory overload. Without thinking, he slid one hand down the swordsman's body to rest at his hip, gripping a second before shifting over to press against the other man's groin. He jumped at the feel of someone else against his palm, startled despite the fact he had initiated the movement, but his hand remained where it was as he kissed Zoro even deeper.

A sharp shudder running through his body, Zoro abruptly pulled back a moment to gasp as Luffy pressed against his most sensitive areas. It was enough to make him hurt, but the pleasurable sensations he received countered it enough to where he only gave a long, low groan.

"L-Luffy," he managed between wet, heated kisses. "...you're killing me..."

Luffy grinned against his mouth, unable at first to respond as their kisses intensified. His heart had nearly skipped a beat at the words, and hearing Zoro's voice rumble in such a groan shot straight through his body like wildfire, making it almost painful how much he wanted him. A bit deliriously, he thought of how he used to feel so proud any time Zoro just didn't twitch away from him, and now... he had _this. _

"God," Luffy managed to moan between kisses and his body nearly melting from desire, "I- this-" But he couldn't string a coherent sentence together, could barely remember to breathe properly or how it felt to not be pressed, sweaty and insistent, against the person he cared most about in the world.

Gasping for air now, Zoro barely felt a trickle of sweat run down his cheek. He eagerly pushed up against him as best as he could, but that only increased the pressure against his aching groin, causing another sharp jolt of euphoria to electrify his body.

"Luffy! You're... _killing me_," he said again, louder and more desperate.

A chuckle from deep in his throat was Zoro's only answer at first, Luffy's eyes glinting predatorily as he whispered, "I... thought you were," and he broke away in a startled, strangled moan when they shifted against each other, nearly making him lose control of his body right there, "-were... already dead." He breathed heavily, everything spiraling away from him but the feel of Zoro's body against his and the pleasure that was threatening to wipe away his entire existence in its presence. He pressed down against Zoro again, unable to keep from crying out desperately at the sensation.

Hitching his knees up now, Zoro's heels continued to dig into the sand. His fingernails were practically raking across Luffy's bare, sweaty back, as he pushed up against Luffy harder. "...I've died twenty times-" He took in a sharp breath, moaning briefly. "-over..."

Luffy couldn't seem to decide whether to laugh or run his voice dry with moaning and crying out, so he settled for a mangled combination. His laughter hitched in his throat, became a moan that became something else, and he almost felt tears in his eyes as what was happening suddenly overwhelmed him.

Gripping Zoro's shoulders almost desperately, fingers shoved between sand and hot, sweaty skin, Luffy suddenly said in a voice so laden with emotion it dropped to almost a whisper, "Zoro- Zoro, this- every-" He stopped, shook his head, pressing their hips together again, harder, more insistently. He had to try again, words that wouldn't even form in his mind he still somehow _needed _to say, but he couldn't seem to. "I- You're- Everything, you're every..."

Between Luffy's fractured sentences, their passionate embrace, the way their faces pressed together in a flurry of pants, kisses and moans, and how their bodies fit so neatly together, Zoro understood exactly what was being said. But words were too difficult for the swordsman, even when his mind wasn't lost in a fog of a wide variety of emotions - desire, loyalty, passion, and maybe a little fear? Instead, he gasped Luffy's name with every breath, holding onto him as if his very life depended on it.

Luffy tried to respond, but it all became too much. Like breathing, like water, like waking up every morning to the sun in the sky, and how had he existed before Zoro was there? His heart was beating blood too fast through his body, everything was dizzy and out of control, and Luffy had to squeeze his eyes shut to even be able to breathe properly. Zoro's breathless voice gasping his name, and he felt so overwhelmed it was like drowning in the sea all over again, but the only terror about it was how right it all felt, and how it was so much at once that it almost felt like he would snap from the pressure.

_I'm rubber, though, _Luffy thought a little deliriously, _I won't break anymore... _

Suddenly kissing Zoro desperately, needing to cling to him, to know he was there and he understood, he would always understand, and he felt the same way back, Luffy felt his heart skip a beat, maybe two, and everything fell away from him the moment he reached orgasm.

Zoro immediately felt Luffy's body tense up, and he sensed what was happening between them. Holding him tighter, the swordsman heavily returned the kisses, feeling the way his companion shuddered in his grasp. "L-Luffy-!"

Somewhere along the way, Luffy's eyes had opened again, and for a confused moment he could only stare at dark eyes and skin so close they blurred together. Blinking, he sagged against Zoro, exhausted and lost in a state of dazed satisfaction, enjoying the feel of a warm, slick body beneath him. He shook his head slightly to clear it, and leaned back enough to stare down with intense dark eyes.

"Wanna help," he said softly, aware that Zoro had not reached a sense of completion yet. He snaked a hand down again to touch him, looking slightly questioning as he asked, "This? Or, how...?"

Zoro's arms gently encircled around Luffy, and he peered down at him with tired concern in his eyes. "...don't worry about me. Are you all right?"

"Idiot," Luffy said, but the word was fond and his answering smile was genuine. "I'll be wonderful once you're as great as I am right now." He pressed his hand a little more firmly against Zoro, palming him lightly as he kissed him affectionately on the neck. "What do you want?" He voice was light, honestly curious, as if he would give Zoro anything in the world to make him feel the way he just did. Which was exactly what he meant.

Sucking in a sharp breath as Luffy touched him, Zoro closed his eyes. "I don't... I don't know..."

Luffy continued his attention on Zoro's neck, open-mouthed with the occasional chaste kiss. "Tell me what you like," he said softly, huskily, and firmed his grip slightly on Zoro's arousal he idly slid his hand up and down.

Shuddering, Zoro bit back a strangled moan. "A-ahh... I..." He tried to speak, tried to articulate how new this all was for him, but all he could do was dissolve into another gasp.

"I think," Luffy said with another deep chuckle, "you must've liked _that." _

Quickening the pace and pressure some, he ran a line of kisses over Zoro's jaw, to his cheek, to just beside his mouth. "You're amazing," he said softly against one side of Zoro's lips, barely more than a hint of voice encased in a whisper, but he meant it so much it almost hurt.

Shuddering, Zoro's grip around Luffy tightened as he groaned against the other man's lips, shaking his head.

Every time Zoro reached for him, called out his name or gripped him closer, something inside Luffy swelled with such an overwhelming sense of happiness that it was almost too much to handle. Staring at him with an expression that could only palely reflect his thoughts inside, Luffy sped the pace of his hand considerably, and when he leaned down to kiss Zoro, he put every ounce of that same emotion into it. Because words would never be enough, would never even come close, but maybe his body could express what his mind could not.

His hair completely standing on end, Zoro pushed some sand away with his feet, groaning sharply as he suddenly hit his peak of arousal. Fingernails dragging across Luffy's back again, Zoro opened his mouth to speak, to make a noise, but the only thing he could muster was another quivering moan. His pulse was skipping furiously again, its frantic beating letting itself known against Luffy's bare chest.

Another smile, genuine and so full of emotion that it sparked in his eyes, and Luffy shifted both hands up to dig between the sand and Zoro's scarred back to hug him fiercely. The chaotic heartbeat beneath his chest only made him smile wider, gentler, and he buried his head beneath the other man's chin to get even closer and give Zoro a chance to catch his breath.

His chin lightly pressing into Luffy's hair, Zoro's slick body rested within Luffy's hold, his frame softly trembling.

Tightening his hold, Luffy dragged one hand through the sand with a bit of clumsy difficulty to run his fingers through Zoro's hair. He was quiet a few moments, feeling the heartbeat slowly begin to calm beneath him and the trembling to fade.

"You'd better not die so much anymore," he said a bit suddenly, his tone somewhere between lightly teasing and perfectly serious, "'cause I don't think I could live without you."

Zoro was quiet for a moment. "You're the one who's always killing me," he finally remarked, his voice rather hoarse and quiet.

"Mm. That's a problem." Luffy paused, then propped himself up just enough to be able to look into Zoro's eyes. "As long as I can resurrect you I guess it's okay." He smiled, something almost quirky, but full of so much humor and love and life that it was anything but normal.

Managing a small smile, Zoro met Luffy's gaze long enough to take in his vibrant expression. Then, his eyes settled to a close, and he drifted off to sleep right there.

Watching him with a mixture of amusement and fondness, Luffy laughed softly to himself and plopped back down to his chest. He was surprisingly comfortable, considering the sand grinding into his skin, his arm caught between the ground and the weight of both of them, the breeze over his chilled sweat, and the stickiness between them.

He knew he should care about the fact that they were sprawled naked on the beach and anyone could easily see them if the person walked by, but no one was on the island and the rest of his crew had no intentions of meeting them for at least another day. And Zoro was warm and trusted him enough that he fell asleep so easily and...

Yawning, Luffy settled against the chest lightly rising and falling beneath him, and soon was lost to dreams.

* * *

**The Abandoned Island, Morning After**

* * *

Something was tickling his face, to the point that it wove into his dreams and woke him up. Mumbling something in annoyance, Luffy flapped a hand lazily at his head, but nothing happened. Peeking one eye open eventually, he realized it was his own hair moving in the wind, and the sky was a lot lighter than he remembered it being.

And he was alone.

Normally that wouldn't be strange, but last night... Blinking awake now, he looked around and realized he was lying alone on the beach, completely naked. Frowning more out of curiosity than anything, he pushed himself up and peered in all directions.

"Zoro?"

There was no answer.

Movement caught his eye, and he noticed that his clothes were still there, though Zoro's were gone. Even more confused now, Luffy wandered over to swipe his clothes and shoes from the ground, and put his hat on. He listened intently for any sound out of normal, but didn't hear any. Very faint footsteps in the sand led away from where he'd woken to the forest behind him. Deciding to follow it, he idly slipped his shorts on just to keep from getting scratched by bushes and underbrush, but didn't bother with his shirt or sandals, which he held loosely with one hand.

Watching the forest for anything interesting, he idly called out again, "Zoro?"

A faint splashing drew the young man's attention toward a particularly shaded area to his left. The tall trees kept the lighting fairly dim, though a few scant sunbeams penetrated enough to trace Zoro's large, familiar figure amidst a pool of waist-deep water.

"Oh, hey," Luffy called casually, veering to lean against a tree and watch. "You're awake."

Zoro sharply turned to look toward Luffy, though he didn't seem as if he hadn't heard him coming. His dark eyes flickered to the wad of clothes resting at the damp edges of the pool before his gaze met Luffy's again. "Hey."

Luffy smiled brightly, not seeming to notice the glance toward the clothing. "Morning! Hey, does that feel good? I'm all sticky and full of sand." Staring at the water, he reached to take his shorts off again.

Zoro momentarily averted his eyes. "Yeah, it's... nice."

Smile remaining, Luffy dropped his clothes and hat beside Zoro's and wandered into the water. The water gradually rose around him until it was about waist deep for him, though he was still a few inches above Zoro on the incline. He squatted so he could dunk his head under water and appear again with a grin, looking at Zoro.

Flushing faintly, Zoro turned away and splashed some water onto his own face and hair. "So, you can swim in regular water, huh?"

"Guess so," Luffy cheerfully agreed. He paused then grinned a bit teasingly. "You didn't say anything before, though. Were you just waiting to see if I'd drown? Or did you want me unresisting for something?"

Zoro choked, his eyes bugging at the last suggestion. "No! I was just..." He gritted his teeth and willed himself to calm down. "...trying to make small talk."

Luffy laughed, standing up fully again. His tone was light and unthreatening. "Why're you so weird right now? Usually you avoid small talk."

Zoro didn't say anything as he splashed as his face again, sinking completely into the water for several moments.

There was a pause as Luffy watched him, but his grin fell and he looked a little more serious, or concerned. "...Are you mad about last night or something?" he asked, trying to understand.

"No. I'm not mad," Zoro quietly assured him. "I'm just..." He floundered for a moment, unsure of how to articulate his feelings.

Luffy watched him quietly a moment, dropping into the water until it was up to his shoulders, his knees scraping against the sand on the ground. He waited, giving Zoro a chance to finish if he wanted.

Zoro looked over at Luffy and gave a small smile. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

Luffy frowned thoughtfully. "No, what's wrong? Did it hurt or something?"

Zoro's face immediately turned a darker shade of red. "No. It felt... fine." He rubbed the back of his head some. "I just... never had done that before, and I wasn't... expecting it. It was really... even if we didn't, you know..." He glanced up at Luffy almost embarrassedly.

"Oh." Luffy closed his eyes with light laughter. "Yeah, it was pretty surprising, huh?" Opening his eyes again, he smiled warmly. "I hadn't either, but I'm glad we did. I like being with you, Zoro."

* * *

**END**

* * *

Author's note: Annnd that's all I have. Sorry, folks! But even though we're missing a huge chunk of story between last chapter and this, at least we wrote this epilogue ahead of time so you can sort of see how we intended their relationship to end? Also you got the long-awaited smut, even if it's not that explicit or long?

Yes, yes I'll just spin this until it doesn't suck that I'm posting an unfinished story…

For reference, I seem to recall we were going to have Luffy have a hell of a time in the task at the end of Breath/with Kuina but he was going to persevere, and eventually they set off on their grand adventure. I also think they were eventually going to meet up with Shanks on an island. Ace and Robin may have been intended to show at some point as well. I wish I had a summary of the ending somewhere I could post (or remember). As I mentioned in another note, if I ever find one I'll add it as another chapter.

I do have one last bonus bit I could offer you – Breath omake. Does anyone want to see that? It's just some short excerpted joking conversations between us as we wrote the story. If anyone wants that I'll add another chapter, perhaps, or provide a link to a livejournal entry. For now, I'll leave this on the semi-serious note of this 'epilogue.'

Thank you for spending all this time with us on our fanfic! I hope you enjoyed what was written of the story—and for those of you who wondered for years where we were going with the plot, I hope this gives you as much closure as possible in the circumstances. I also hope you weren't madly disappointed after such a long wait.

In conclusion: Long live One Piece! I think I will always be obsessed with the wonderful world and characters Oda has created. (How could I not?)

Thank you again and again for your awesomeness these past six years. I can't believe how much time passed. By the way, if you'd like to know what we're each up to now, check our individual profiles for more information.

Goodnight, everyone, and good reading.  
-Karaleyn


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